Taliban Look to Purge Military of Islamic State Infiltrators
- Local offshoot of Islamic State is Taliban’s main threat
- IS blamed for several recent violent attacks in Afghanistan
Photographer: Javed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images
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The Taliban are carrying out background checks within their ranks as they look to identify and capture infiltrators from rival Islamic State, which has carried out several deadly attacks across Afghanistan since the militant group took power in August.
“Anyone who’s seen as harmful to the government or people of Afghanistan and misusing the authority of the government will be removed from our ranks and eliminated,” Ahmadullah Wasiq, a spokesman of Taliban, said over the phone. “We have also seen reports of unknown armed men entering private homes or punishing people in the name of Taliban.”