Afghanistan: Taliban says 55 IS terrorists surrendered in Nangarhar province

On Saturday, an official statement from the Taliban's intelligence headquarter said that a total of 55 Islamic State (IS) jihadists had surrendered in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, as per the reports of the Express Tribune. Mohammad Bashir, the head of the intelligence agency in Nangarhar province announced that a total of 55 members of Daesh (the IS) group gave up fighting and surrendered to the provincial department of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) in Nangarhar, following efforts by local leaders.

The source stated the surrendered terrorists were active in the Nangarhar areas of Batil Kot, Achin and Spinghar, which are recognised strongholds of the IS, according to Xinhua. The incident took place as Taliban security forces applied military pressure on terrorists in Afghanistan's eastern mountainous area.

Earlier on Saturday 25 militants linked to the IS surrendered to authorities

According to Xinhua, earlier on Saturday, the officials stated that a group of 25 terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS) surrendered to authorities in Jalalabad, which is the capital of Nangarhar. They were active in Spinghar, Pachiragam, and Batikot districts, according to the chief of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province's intelligence agency and security forces.

On the other hand, another batch of 65 terrorists surrendered last week in the same region, which has been the targeted place of assassinations and bomb blasts. The Taliban claimed earlier this month that they had destroyed an IS hideaway in Kabul, which had been accused of a number of strikes. According to the Express Tribune, the terror group claimed responsibility for a massive suicide bombing in Kandahar, as well as orchestrating targeted killings in Nangarhar and Parwan provinces and another major suicide bombing in a Shia community mosque in northern Kunduz province, killing more than 100 people.

IS previously stated that its extreme goal was to install Sharia rule

Pro-Daesh and IS terrorists have claimed responsibility for many attacks and bomb blasts in recent weeks. The Nangarhar province has seen an increase in fighting, with the Taliban undertaking counter-offensives targeting "Daesh hideouts," as the regime termed them. IS previously stated that its extreme goal was to install Sharia rule and punish individuals who disobeyed the Quran in a highly provocative assertion.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP