KABUL – United States and Allied Forces in Afghanistan have stepped up thedrone strikes as part of the Donald Trump policy to accelerate the heatagainst Afghan Taliban and the Daesh terrorists on Afghan soil.
In the latest series of events US Forces have carried out multiple dronestrikes in the restive Afghan province of Nangarhar along the Pakistanborder.
At least 17 Daesh fighters were killed in drone strikes carried out byforeign forces in eastern Nangarhar province, the provincial police said ina statement Sunday, TOLO News has reported.
The airstrikes were conducted in Haska Mina and Achin districts in theprovince in which hideouts and weapons belonged to the militants weredestroyed, the statement said.
The statement said 14 Daesh militants were killed Achin and three othersHaska Mina district.
According to the statement, foreign fighters were are also among thosekilled in the airstrikes.
The statement did not provide further details about the airstrikes.
This comes after government officials, MPs and some politicians have saidthey are concerned about the increase of Daesh activities in parts of thecountry.
Last year in December, Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistansaid that there are more than 10,000 Daesh fighters in Afghanistan.
Kabulov also alleged that helicopters “without identifying insignia” aretransferring fighters and delivering “Western (military) equipment” to theAfghan branch of the terrorist group
However, the Chief of Afghanistan Army Staff Gen. Mohammad Sharif Yaftalirejected Kabulov’s figures about Daesh fighters in the country as fake andbaseless.
“We confirm the presence of up to 2,000 Daesh fighters in Afghanistan. Mr.Kabulov is sick and it is his habit to utter big things,” Yaftali toldlawmakers in the Wolesi Jirga, Lower House of Parliament, last year inDecember.
The US military officials said last week the United States will send in atleast 1,000 new combat advisers to Afghanistan as part of its efforts toboost US training commitment to the country.
Besides the combat advisers, the US Defense Department is planning toreallocate drones and other hardware, US military officials said last weekon Thursday.