Islamic State militants kill 30 civilians in Afghanistan

MNA International Desk: The Islamic State militants group killed around 30 civilians, including children, in the central Afghan province of Ghor, the local government said Wednesday.

The incident occurred late Tuesday north of the provincial capital Firoz Koh, with the government calling it a revenge attack after a local IS commander was killed.

The killings underscore unraveling security in Afghanistan as the reviving Taliban continue a push into urban centres 15 years after they were toppled from power by the US invasion.

IS fighters are also making steady inroads into Afghanistan, winning over sympathisers, recruiting followers and challenging the Taliban on their own turf, primarily in the country’s east.

In March Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced that the Islamists had been defeated after local security forces claimed victory in a months-long operation against the group.

Central Afghanistan has not been known as a centre of IS activity, which has so far mostly been concentrated in Nangarhar state in the east of the country.

Analysts say the IS militants in Ghor are former Taliban fighters. The Taliban and IS declared war on each other last year.