New York Times reports that US and Afghan forces have discriminated against terrorist organization, aided by surprising partners: Taliban forces • US factor: "The threat still exists"

• Daash prisoners in Afghanistan, along with weapons seized by them // Photo Archive: Reuters

The main stronghold of ISIS forces in eastern Afghanistan has collapsed in recent weeks, the New York Times reported Monday, after years of concerted military operations between US and Afghan forces, along with another and surprising collaboration - with the Taliban.

In an interview last week, General Austin Miller, who is responsible for all US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said that the fact that ISIS lost control of the territories in the eastern state would limit the organization's mobilization and hamper plans for future attacks.

At the same time, Miller warned that ISIS could remain a threat in the Afghan territories, even if it does not hold territories under its control for years and the forces must be vigilant and continue to monitor the remaining militants. "We saw what happened in Syria and Iraq - when we took control of large areas, and the troops moved into small cells and popped up in strange places."

ISIS uses UAV to destroy Syrian army ammunition depot

Sources in the West and Afghanistan pointed to a combination of several factors that led to ISIS's loss of power, forcing many fighters to move or surrender. Another Western official estimated that the organization's strength was now reduced to around 300 fighters, compared to the three thousand earlier this year.

US officials disagreed about the larger threat posed by the organization in Afghanistan. While military officials emphasize ISIS ambitions in the global sector, intelligence officials believe the Afghan branch remains brutal and threatening in the region, even though the number of fighters has dropped.

At the same time, the most worrying issue for US officials is the ability of the organization to plan terrorist attacks and continue mobilization operations in Kabul, the Afghan capital, despite increased campaigns calling against it. According to officials, a number of new recruits who were involved in the planning and execution of deadly terror attacks that occurred in the state, attended the prestigious schools in the city.

Afghan soldiers during the operation against ISIS // Photo Archive: IP

Remember, ISIS has succeeded in penetrating into Afghan society, especially to parts that have not been part of the widespread fighting in the country for many years. But senior officials say that the strength of the organization, even in light of recent defeats, increases the likelihood of an endless war even if the Taliban enters a ceasefire negotiation process.

Although the Afghan branch of the organization received money from Syria and Iraq, the relationship between the two groups remained minimal, argues Ariane Sharifi, who served as director of the National Security Council's threat assessments until last year. According to Sharifi, ISIS is trying to make Afghanistan the organization's global focus in the years to come, having withdrawn from its controlled territories in Syria and Iraq, following the Western attacks in the region.

The investigation also reveals that according to officials, one of the organization's goals is to hold territories in Afghanistan and elsewhere in South and East Asia in order to try to establish a caliphate, similar to the previous experience in the Middle East. Sharifi claimed that "the Afghan branch of the organization is less ideological than its counterparts in the other countries, mainly because of the country's politics and activities against it."