Afghan President Touts Success Against IS

March 15, 2016

President Ashraf Ghani has said that Islamic State (IS) militants are "on the run" in eastern Afghanistan.

"No quarter would be given" to IS fighters, Ghani told a joint press conference with the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Kabul on March 15.

He attributed the success in dislodging IS militants to a combination of U.S. air strikes and "massive" ground operations by Afghan forces.

Over the past six months, the IS group had battled the Taliban in Nangarhar and gained a foothold in the region.

The local IS affiliate is mainly made up of former Taliban fighters disillusioned by the group's failure to overthrow the government despite a 15-year insurgency.

Stoltenberg pledged further support to Afghan forces, more than a year after the NATO coalition declared an end to its combat mission.

But he also said international backers were looking for Kabul's leaders to fight corruption, modernize institutions, reform the electoral process, and protect human rights.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters