Afghan officials described Mr. Hekmatullah as running Islamic State in Khorasan operations not only in Jowzjan, but also in the provinces of Sar-i-Pul and Faryab, which are also in the north. He said those factions included foreign fighters from places including Chechnya and Syria, followers of Mr. Hekmatullah from his home district, and Islamic State fighters from elsewhere in Afghanistan who had joined his forces in the north. “He was very powerful and commanded up to 500 armed fighters,” Mr. Azizi said. The Islamic State has proved capable of replenishing its forces in the past, however. Then, last December, General Nicholson said that another 1,600 fighters had been “removed from the battlefield,” particularly in eastern Afghanistan.

Source: New York Times April 09, 2018 14:26 UTC