The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan has suffered heavy losses in the past year but could spoil the country’s peace process by attacking cities and recruiting Taliban splinter groups angered by the negotiations.
After recent battlefield losses, much of the group is hiding in the remote Kunar province, where dense forests shield them from airstrikes, said one commander with the group, known as ISIS-Khorasan province.
But some cells are hidden away in cities like Kabul and Jalalabad, where they plan to recruit “former jihadis” and stage attacks, said the commander, who goes by the pseudonym Ibadullah.