Pakistan

Afghan Taliban in bid for ceasefire with IS

Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada allegedly also instructs fighters not to attack IS

Reuters/news Desk October 08, 2017

Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is seen in an undated photograph, posted on a Taliban twitter feed on May 25, 2016, and identified separately by several Taliban officials. PHOTO: REUTERS

The top leadership of Taliban in Afghanistan has reportedly initiated efforts to end conflict with the Islamic State, also known as Da’ish.

According to Khaama Press, a source privy to the development said Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada had also instructed his fighters to not attack IS militants.

Citing a source privy to the development, the local news outlet claimed Akhundzada said that the Taliban and IS-led insurgency are ‘similar’ and therefore the conflict between the groups should end.

The move came months after a United Nations report said that a combined force of Taliban and “self-proclaimed” Islamic State militants killed at least 36 people in what may amount to war crimes during a raid on a northern Afghan town in August.

Islamic State say they have captured Afghanistan's Tora Bora caves

A spokesperson for the Taliban, however, called the UN report “baseless allegations” and “false claims”. Zabihullah Mujahid repeated an earlier statement that the Taliban had killed 28 pro-government militia fighters, but no civilians were harmed. He also denied that Islamic State was involved in the fighting.

On the other hand, Da’ish also released a statement saying it had led the attack and killed about 54 Shias. (WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES)