Afghans eliminate three high-ranking IS members in Balkh province

The Taliban, which controls power in Afghanistan, announced the elimination of three key figures of the Islamic State (IS) in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Those eliminated included IS interim head in Balkh and part-time judge Zainuddin, an IS council member in Khorasan Abu Omar Afridi, and Ustad Salman Tajistani, who was in charge of military training and land mining.

The statement of the interim government on the elimination of IS militants caused a reaction from the former US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad.

“If confirmed, this would be a significant blow to the Islamic State in northern Afghanistan. The Taliban committed themselves under the Doha Agreement to fight IS. The elimination of these leaders indicates that they are doing this,” Khalilzad said.