Jihadists kidnap, brutally behead 10 Taliban members in Afghanistan

oge okonkwo

June 8, 2015 6:07 PM

The attack took place in a remote area in the eastern province of Nangarhar after ISIS jihadis intercepted at least a dozen Taliban fighters who were fleeing a gun battle with government troops

The attack took place in a remote area in the eastern province of Nangarhar after ISIS jihadis intercepted at least a dozen Taliban fighters (pictured) who were fleeing a gun battle with government troops

Jihadists fighting for the Islamic State in Afghanistan have brutally beheaded at least 10 Taliban members, intensifying the bloody rivalry between the two Islamic terror groups.

According to Daily Mail, the attack took place in a remote area in the eastern province of Nangarhar after ISIS jihadis intercepted at least a dozen Taliban fighters who were fleeing a gun battle with government troops.

The rival terror groups declared war on one another in April after the Afghan Taliban branded ISIS' self-declared caliphate illegitimate and refused to declare allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Reports say ISIS responded by launching recruitment drives deep into Taliban territory, allowing them to expand rapidly - even reportedly replacing the Taliban as the dominant controlling force in one district.

Details of the mass beheadings were revealed by India.com, who said it came as Taliban fighters fled a remote outpost following a fierce firefight with Afghan security forces nearby.

It was gathered that the report suggested that as many as 12 Taliban fighters may have been beheaded by ISIS, although the official figure remains at 10.

Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, is a key target for ISIS as it looks to expand the territory under its control on its mission to build a worldwide caliphate.

Reports gathered reveals that over the past year members of the Pakistani Taliban have displayed for more support for ISIS than their Afghan counterparts have done, with a number of prominent Pakistani jihadi groups going as far as declaring allegiance to ISIS leader al-Baghdadi while insisting they remain part of the Taliban.

The divide between the Afghan and Pakistani branches of the Taliban stems from the former's desire to keep all non-Afghan influence out of the country, which the latter's priority is to create a global caliphate, or Islamic state, under which harsh Sharia law would be enforced.

oge okonkwo