Afghanistan: ISIS-K Claims Responsibility for Deadly Nangarhar Blast

ISIS-K, the Afghan affiliate of Daesh, has claimed responsibility for a deadly explosion in the Dara-e Noor district of Nangarhar Province, which occurred on Friday, Amu TV reported yesterday.

The blast resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including madrassa students, and left five others injured. Among the deceased, ISIS-K reported that four were members of the Taliban, the governing group in Afghanistan.

Initially, Taliban officials attributed the explosion to an old landmine. Despite ongoing threats from ISIS-K, the Taliban has downplayed the group’s influence, asserting that it has been largely suppressed. This incident marks yet another attack in a series of assaults by ISIS-K across Taliban-controlled territories, including Kabul, Kandahar, Badakhshan, Herat, Baghlan, and Balkh.

A United Nations report indicated that between August 2022 and June 2024, Afghanistan experienced 15,865 attacks, with ISIS-K claiming 361 of them, resulting in 1,182 civilian deaths and 2,904 injuries. The Pentagon has stated that the Taliban is not a partner in the coalition against ISIS, emphasizing that the U.S. continues to collaborate with “like-minded partners” in the global fight against terrorism. Despite the Taliban’s claims of diminished threats, ISIS-K remains a significant challenge to their governance.