ISIS Captures Tora Bora, Once Bin Laden’s Afghan Fortress

[Skies]

Are the ISIS members in Afghanistan Afghan citizen or foreigner?

 

[Eagle_storm]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/15/tora-bora-captured-taliban-dispute-isis-claim.html


Here comes the rejection from taliban.
Taliban conduct the claim baseless reject their capture of tora bora.

 

[New World]

Lol Taliban jihadists fleeing from ISIS jihadists?? So seems ISIS jihadists are even more determined religious fighters than the Taliban?
Seems U S coalition forces will soon have to be supporting the Taliban and supplying them ammunitions against ISIS. Surprising turn of events. Lol

As far as I know(you can correct me if i'm wrong) Afghan Taliban are not as same as ISIS, as they are only entitled to or focused in Afghanistan and they don't have any hey or say in the neighboring countries(Pakistan, Iran, China, CAR) unlike ISIS.
ISIS's Subject is caliphate over all the world where as Afghan Taliban's Subject is Afghanistan without foreign troops.

Are the ISIS members in Afghanistan Afghan citizen or foreigner?

ISIS members were once members of TTP, and Uzbek Movement... but know they are united under a brand Name that's why they take so much publicity..

 

[The Accountant]

View attachment 403587
An Afghan soldier during an attack by Islamic State militants in Nangarhar Province in May. In expelling the Taliban from Tora Bora, the extremists gain an easily defended base, an Afghan official said.CreditGhulamullah Habibi/European Pressphoto Agency

KABUL, Afghanistan — Tora Bora, the mountain redoubt that was once Osama bin Laden’s fortress, fell to the Islamic State early Wednesday, handing the extremists a significant strategic and symbolic victory, according to Afghan officials and local elders and residents.

Taliban fighters who had previously controlled the extensive cave and tunnel complex fled overnight after a determined, weeklong assault by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, according to villagers fleeing the area on Wednesday.

A local Afghan police official confirmed that the fortress had fallen. “ISIS has captured Tora Bora and areas around it,” he said. “The tribal elders are here in my office. They all escaped the area last night.” He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban in that area, denied that Tora Bora had fallen to their rival insurgents. “Fighting is underway in the Tora Bora area between ISIS and our mujahedeen,” Mr. Mujahid said via the Viber messaging service. “It is the front line between our mujahedeen and ISIS. No one has advanced in the area.”

Continue reading the main story


He accused the United States of carrying out airstrikes in support of the Islamic State, but local officials and residents denied hearing any.

Residents said the Taliban had fled. “The Taliban escaped from the area last night and left us to ISIS with our women and children,” said Juma Gul, a tribal elder from the Suleymankhel Valley, close to Tora Bora, who said he was among hundreds of families who fled the area after the Islamic State took over. “There was no resistance by the Taliban against ISIS, and local tribes had no way to fight them anymore, so we just escaped.”

Hazrat Ali, a member of Parliament and a prominent warlord from the area who helped the Americans capture Tora Bora from Al Qaeda in 2001, said that the offensive was prompted by the American decision to drop the so-called mother of all bombs on an Islamic State network of tunnels in Achin District in April. The 20,000-pound bomb was thought to be the largest non-nuclear bomb ever deployed.

The Islamic State then decided to shift its refuge to the Tora Bora caves and tunnels, Mr. Ali said. “Some 1,000 ISIS militants were gathered close to Tora Bora, to capture the area,” Mr. Ali said. “I informed government forces to target them, and I told them they are trying to capture Tora Bora, but they did not pay attention.”

The militants now have not only an easily defended base at Tora Bora, Mr. Ali said, but also access to many other parts of Nangarhar Province through the Spin Ghar mountains along the Pakistan border, where Tora Bora sits. “ISIS has a stronghold and will capture these areas one after another,” he said.

Mr. Ali has extensive experience fighting against Al Qaeda in the area but has also been accused of having helped bin Laden escape from Tora Bora in December 2001, reportedly betraying his American and Afghan allies as they closed in on the Qaeda leadership.

Source: New York Times
goo.gl/uSZZts
For Details in Urdu:
goo.gl/SSLfC8

Thats a bad news

 

[Pakistan First]

Bad omen this..

For Pak for obvious reasons.. since, only now Pak State and Pak People are beginning to see some sort of normal life... I fear the planners want to start more vicious attack once again. Nobody said that CPEC will get an easy, Green Pass. Enter the new Evil.

For China...the target is Xinjiang.. AF hellhole remains the spring board and exporter of terror products for those who have set factories of death there... OBOR/BRI will not get any free pass either.

For Russia and entire Central Asia... this is like knife ready at their soft underbelly. SCO will be tested and attempts will be to overwhelm it.

As the Sino-Pak-Rus Peace Iniative in AF hellhole was just gaining traction... we see hounds of hell being unleashed.

The US will be staying in AF for another decade since AF is a prime real estate to keep an eye on all SCO members and observer i.e. Iran.

Closing the AF-Pak border is first step but would not provide watertight security.

Sino-Pak-Rus Axis shall be developing new mechanisms in security and diplomatic vetors. If Iran can be fully onboard then this ISIL cancer can be dealt with by regional powers. It is going to be very bloody.

The allied forces in AF will be deploying more troops and indians will contribute troops as well. It is fight for Eurasia...nobody must lull themselves into peaceful fantasy.. it is Fight of Titans.. terrorism is an economic and effective tool. Let there be no illusions.


Bad omens...when combined with the mess in ME... things just don't happen in isolation. Sino-Pak Axis will remain on high alert for sometime to come. Kashmir burning... SCS. All interconnected.

CPEC MUST be protected at all costs!

Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces will have to take the initiative and send these "hounds of hell", to ...... hell.

US is evidently incapable (if not an accomplice) in handling ISIS in AF. There is a vacuum allowing terrorists to strengthen their foothold near Pakistani border which will not only have ramifications for CPEC, but also for Russia in the medium term. Putin has already shown his willingness to engage militarily in other regions to protect it's interests. It is the right time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to engage these terrorists in AF allying with AF TALIBAN and using Taliban's local intel and resources, rain hell on ISIS. Pakistan's experience in South Waziristan and Swat against TTP terrorists which comprise of more or less the same type of militia, will be priceless for the allied forces.

Only solution is Afghan Taliban backed by Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces on AF soil.

US will surely try to counter this by supporting ISIS and northern alliance kinda militia, however, US now does not have Pakistan on it's side like it had during the previous Afghan war and it's whore in the region - India, does not have the foothold inside Afghanistan like Pakistani Intelligence Agencies do.

Time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to kick US and it's terrorists out of the region. Iran will play ball and will never stand against such an alliance.

 

[The Eagle]

To believe on Intel Reports like this, luckily the hunt is spotted at an ideal place where a MOAB would be really useful, effective as well as result oriented to deal with these terrorists. Shouldn't be waiting if the same does not hurts strategy as well as great interests.

 

[LeGenD]

Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces will have to take the initiative and send these "hounds of hell", to ...... hell.

US is evidently incapable (if not an accomplice) in handling ISIS in AF. There is a vacuum allowing terrorists to strengthen their foothold near Pakistani border which will not only have ramifications for CPEC, but also for Russia in the medium term. Putin has already shown his willingness to engage militarily in other regions to protect it's interests. It is the right time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to engage these terrorists in AF allying with AF TALIBAN and using Taliban's local intel and resources, rain hell on ISIS. Pakistan's experience in South Waziristan and Swat against TTP terrorists which comprise of more or less the same type of militia, will be priceless for the allied forces.

Only solution is Afghan Taliban backed by Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces on AF soil.

US will surely try to counter this by supporting ISIS and northern alliance kinda militia, however, US now does not have Pakistan on it's side like it had during the previous Afghan war and it's whore in the region - India, does not have the foothold inside Afghanistan like Pakistani Intelligence Agencies do.

Time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to kick US and it's terrorists out of the region. Iran will play ball and will never stand against such an alliance.

Bro,

I find this assessment over-optimistic.

What is the point of formulating the Sino-Pak-Rus front for combating terrorism in Afghanistan without committing troops to the cause? Reliance on Afghan Taliban is not good enough.

US is perfectly capable of handling ISIS in Afghanistan; situation is that Obama administration ended major combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014, leaving only 8000 troops in this region in order to assist Afghan government in its affairs.

Obama administration authorized US forces to take action against ISIS in Afghanistan but did not commit to expanding American military profile for it. American forces have certainly hammered ISIS positions in different parts of the country, reducing its footprint:

The Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP, Wilayah Khorasan)

The Islamic State has increased its influence in Afghanistan since mid-2014, acting under the name of Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP, often also referred to as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, ISIL-K), named after an area that once included parts of what is now Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The group is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C §1189) and is listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The group’s presence in Afghanistan has crystallized from several small Afghan Taliban and other militant factions—such as Da Fidayano Mahaz and Tora Bora Mahaz—that announced affiliation with the organization in early 2013. The Islamic State presence grew further as additional Taliban factions broke with the Taliban and declared allegiance to the group, including capturing some small areas primarily in eastern Afghanistan. In late 2015, press reports indicated that Afghan affiliates of the Islamic State have begun receiving financial assistance from the core organization located in the self-declared “caliphate” in parts of Iraq and Syria.

U.S. commanders estimated in late 2015 that there were 1,000-3,000 ISKP fighters in Afghanistan and estimated that U.S. and Afghan military efforts had reduced ISKP fighting strength by 15%-20% as of October 2016 to roughly 1,000 personnel. A U.S. strike killed ISKP’s leader Hafiz Saeed Khan in July 2016. U.S. officials say the Islamic State’s goal in Afghanistan is likely to expand its presence further in northeastern Afghanistan as well as in areas east of Qandahar. To address the threat from ISKP, President Obama authorized U.S. commanders to combat ISKP fighters by affiliation, i.e., whether or not these fighters pose an immediate threat to U.S. forces, partners, or the Afghanistan National Defense Forces. In October 2016, U.S. Brigadier General Charles Cleveland said that the United States had conducted “about 240” counter-terrorism strikes from January-October 2016, of which about “two thirds to three quarters” were targeted against ISKP. In April 2016, Brigadier General Cleveland said that U.S. action had reduced the ISKP presence to two to three provinces, from six to eight provinces at the start of 2016.

Source: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R43612.pdf

Some details in this article: https://www.rt.com/usa/389616-increased-us-bombing-afghanistan/

Coming back to the main point: supplying arms to Afghan Taliban is not a sound strategy because it has splintered and some of its factions have joined ISIS movement in Afghanistan.

I think US is adopting 'wait-and-see' approach for developing situation in Tora Bora because ISIS and remnants of Afghan Taliban are fighting each other in this region. From American point-of-view, it makes sense to allow these forces to duke it out and wait for the right moment to pounce.

TBH:-

Afghan Taliban does not represents future of Afghanistan; its legitimacy is in doubt in more than half of Afghanistan (irrespective of claims to the contrary) and it is an extension of a tried-and-tested policy for Afghanistan which failed to deliver and brought Al-Qaeda Network to Afghanistan and we all know what happened next. I am not sure why we keeping beating this dead horse and expect a favorable outcome out of it.

This guy has a point: http://www.atimes.com/kabul-islamabad-flog-dead-horse-taliban-talks/

The Sino-Pak-Rus front - if it even exists - can put pressure on Afghan government to soften its stance towards Pakistan and formulate a new strategy of cooperation in anti-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan with assurances to the Afghan government that it will be receive assistance in this regard.

Open-ended conflict with US and Afghan government will help no one. If Russia is indeed contemplating this, we should be worried. Because this conflict has the potential to spillover into Pakistan like in the past and our accomplishments will be in vain.

Do we really want to wage war against US and Afghan government in Afghanistan? Saner voices will suggest otherwise because they will finally get the pretext to sabotage CPEC and throw a wrench on Pakistani anti-terrorism efforts in response.

 

[jhungary]

they ruled for 5 years, not 30 years.

Well, that's a figure of speech.....

Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces will have to take the initiative and send these "hounds of hell", to ...... hell.

US is evidently incapable (if not an accomplice) in handling ISIS in AF. There is a vacuum allowing terrorists to strengthen their foothold near Pakistani border which will not only have ramifications for CPEC, but also for Russia in the medium term. Putin has already shown his willingness to engage militarily in other regions to protect it's interests. It is the right time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to engage these terrorists in AF allying with AF TALIBAN and using Taliban's local intel and resources, rain hell on ISIS. Pakistan's experience in South Waziristan and Swat against TTP terrorists which comprise of more or less the same type of militia, will be priceless for the allied forces.

Only solution is Afghan Taliban backed by Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces on AF soil.

US will surely try to counter this by supporting ISIS and northern alliance kinda militia, however, US now does not have Pakistan on it's side like it had during the previous Afghan war and it's whore in the region - India, does not have the foothold inside Afghanistan like Pakistani Intelligence Agencies do.

Time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to kick US and it's terrorists out of the region. Iran will play ball and will never stand against such an alliance.

It doesn't work that way.

If you put Russia-China-Pakistan into the equation, you will only spill the conflict into their respective soil, they will not be able to stop ISIS activities.

ISIS was strong because it was spammed by the "Infidel" ruling Muslim land, the same reason why Taliban attack the US in Afghanistan is because the US was there in the first place, if you put a non-Islamic alliance and fly that banner and fight ISIS in Afghanistan, you are in effect doing the recruitment for ISIS.

There are no way to solve this problem beside Afghan own force, be it Kabul Regime or Taliban, anyone outside this put into the equation will only fuel the fire. Not putting it out.

The only different between US involvement and China/Russia Involvement is that US is far away, meaning they cannot be touched by this Cluster FUK as they are 18,000 miles away. Russia and China, on the other hand, share a border to Afghanistan, if they do anything like you said, then it would just be easily expanding to Russian and Chinese territories due to the fact that both country are suppressing their Muslim population somehow.

 

[khansaheeb]

ISIS now knocking right at the doors of Pakistan. Praying that the patriotic Armed Forces of Pakistan blow them to smithereens, before these monsters inflict more damage to Pakistan.

Zion sponsored terrorists intent on committing heinous crimes against humanity.

 

[Zhukov]

At a time when he wasnt in the loop

Yes we believes in you



Pak Army is very professional and trained in fighting counter insurgency .Against those terrorists you dont have to think twice .You have to think only about clear military ops.

But in Kashmir ,they are our misguided people .We wont kill them .They are not terrorists like IS or TTP.
They are doing all this money that come across the border .

But against terrorists we wont think twice .
Dealings with terrorists is actually easier than dealings with people.

Agree with all your points except money coming from cross border.

Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces will have to take the initiative and send these "hounds of hell", to ...... hell.

US is evidently incapable (if not an accomplice) in handling ISIS in AF. There is a vacuum allowing terrorists to strengthen their foothold near Pakistani border which will not only have ramifications for CPEC, but also for Russia in the medium term. Putin has already shown his willingness to engage militarily in other regions to protect it's interests. It is the right time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to engage these terrorists in AF allying with AF TALIBAN and using Taliban's local intel and resources, rain hell on ISIS. Pakistan's experience in South Waziristan and Swat against TTP terrorists which comprise of more or less the same type of militia, will be priceless for the allied forces.

Only solution is Afghan Taliban backed by Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces on AF soil.

US will surely try to counter this by supporting ISIS and northern alliance kinda militia, however, US now does not have Pakistan on it's side like it had during the previous Afghan war and it's whore in the region - India, does not have the foothold inside Afghanistan like Pakistani Intelligence Agencies do.

Time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to kick US and it's terrorists out of the region. Iran will play ball and will never stand against such an alliance.

why are some of you so fond of Taliban?
Have you read the time when Taliban ruled Afghanistan?
They ruled just like TTP.
Fighting an occupying forces is something commendable i respect that. but the ideology they carry is same as you have already seen in Pakistan i.e the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan.
Read some about the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan they created.
Northern alliance is shit Indian stooges. But Taliban is no solution. Religious Fundamentalism is obsolete and it hurts. It has to go in any form it exists.
Mark my words if Pak Afghan Border comes under rule of Taliban then you have to Start Operation in Afghanistan too sacrificing lives of 4000 more soldiers and god knows how many civilians.

 

[Pakistan First]

The only indigenous force in AF that is capable of taking on ISIS menace, is AF TALIBAN and not Afghan RagTag Army. They'll need help from Pakistan in terms of air support, which Pakistan should provide. For hardware support, Russia and China can contribute.

 

[Cthulhu]

Great, Now these idiots are getting a foothold in Afghanistan.

 

[sohail.ishaque]

Now even MOAB is useless against IS .Natural fortress of Tora Bora is strong enough to protect them.
Donot drag India into your mess.

Tell that to IndiaTimes

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...nents-to-isis-report/articleshow/51142301.cms

Seven Indian companies supplying components to ISIS: Report

 

[Zabaniyah]

Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces will have to take the initiative and send these "hounds of hell", to ...... hell.

US is evidently incapable (if not an accomplice) in handling ISIS in AF. There is a vacuum allowing terrorists to strengthen their foothold near Pakistani border which will not only have ramifications for CPEC, but also for Russia in the medium term. Putin has already shown his willingness to engage militarily in other regions to protect it's interests. It is the right time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to engage these terrorists in AF allying with AF TALIBAN and using Taliban's local intel and resources, rain hell on ISIS. Pakistan's experience in South Waziristan and Swat against TTP terrorists which comprise of more or less the same type of militia, will be priceless for the allied forces.

Only solution is Afghan Taliban backed by Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces on AF soil.

US will surely try to counter this by supporting ISIS and northern alliance kinda militia, however, US now does not have Pakistan on it's side like it had during the previous Afghan war and it's whore in the region - India, does not have the foothold inside Afghanistan like Pakistani Intelligence Agencies do.

Time for Sino-Pak-Rus allied forces to kick US and it's terrorists out of the region. Iran will play ball and will never stand against such an alliance.

Only if things had been so simple. This is a unique situation we are all facing. ISIS revolves around an idea. It's not a country with a big standing army that we can just drop a freaking MOAB and go home to have sweet dreams over it.

It is formless like water and can get into anything anywhere. Bombing them to smithereens won't suffice. It is a question of taking and isolating that idea so much so that everyone would just forget that it existed in the first place.

War even on the scale that Daesh is committing to takes money. A lot of money. The question is: Who are financing them? This is very important.

That idea has now made itself way into South East Asia. There's fighting in southern Philippines (a historically troubled and very Muslim area). We need to suppress the idea and cut out its food source. They are poisoning the minds of the youth and will continue to do so if we aren't doing anything about it.

Mr. Trump, are you listening as to how grave the situation is becoming?

 

[Sine Nomine]

Lol Taliban jihadists fleeing from ISIS jihadists?? So seems ISIS jihadists are even more determined religious fighters than the Taliban?

Though they are religious fighters but they are confined to Afghanistan only,while ISIS is an International organization created with blessings of US.They haven't got world wide support or network like ISIS has got.