Heavy fighting between Taliban, Islamic State in Afghanistan continues

Afghanistan: Afghan Taliban are battling fighters loyal to the Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) group over control of territory in eastern Afghanistan in some of the heaviest clashes over the past year between the rival militants, Afghan officials quoted by Reuters said on Wednesday.

The fighting erupted on Monday in two districts of the eastern Afghan border province of Nangarhar, when ISKP fighters attacked villages under Taliban control.

“Islamic State fighters have captured six villages in Khogyani and Shirzad districts but the fighting has not stopped,” said Sohrab Qaderi, a member Nangarhar’s the provincial council.

About 500 families had fled from the fighting, he said.

Casualty figures were not available.

At the same time, there have been reports of intense clashes between Taliban and ISKP in Kunar province of Afghanistan.