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WASHINGTON - Local residents joined forces with Afghan Taliban militants to repel an Islamic State attack in a remote district in eastern Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden once took refuge, according to local tribesmen.
Late Friday, after about three days of fierce fighting in the mountains, IS fighters reportedly retreated to scattered villages after suffering dozens of casualties.
The battles began Tuesday when IS fighters attacked Taliban positions in the Tora Bora mountains in the Pachiragam district of eastern Nangarhar province that borders Pakistan. Locals, who see IS militants as a threat to their region, came to the aid of the Taliban with militias to push out IS.
Taliban gains control
Tora Bora, known for its complex set of mountain caves, was the site of a U.S. military offensive in December 2001, where al-Qaida's leader, Osama bin Laden, was reportedly hiding before he managed to cross into neighboring Pakistan. The Taliban has gained control of much of Tora Bora in recent years as it gains ground in rural areas against Afghan troops, which have largely retreated.
Lacking an Afghan government military presence in the area, locals have taken up arms to fight IS to defend their lands, Nangarhar government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told VOA.The fighting displaced about 500 families, he added.
Afghan Locals Taliban Drive Islamic State From Tora Bora Region
And that is why there is no end.
Late Friday, after about three days of fierce fighting in the mountains, IS fighters reportedly retreated to scattered villages after suffering dozens of casualties.
The battles began Tuesday when IS fighters attacked Taliban positions in the Tora Bora mountains in the Pachiragam district of eastern Nangarhar province that borders Pakistan. Locals, who see IS militants as a threat to their region, came to the aid of the Taliban with militias to push out IS.
Taliban gains control
Tora Bora, known for its complex set of mountain caves, was the site of a U.S. military offensive in December 2001, where al-Qaida's leader, Osama bin Laden, was reportedly hiding before he managed to cross into neighboring Pakistan. The Taliban has gained control of much of Tora Bora in recent years as it gains ground in rural areas against Afghan troops, which have largely retreated.
Lacking an Afghan government military presence in the area, locals have taken up arms to fight IS to defend their lands, Nangarhar government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told VOA.The fighting displaced about 500 families, he added.
Afghan Locals Taliban Drive Islamic State From Tora Bora Region
And that is why there is no end.
