US defense secretary reaffirms goal to defeat IS group in Afghanistan

US Defense Secretary, Ash Carter has once again stressed on defeating the Daesh group in Afghanistan with support to Afghan security forces.

extended his “deepest condolences” to all those killed and injured and their families in this weekend’s bombing in Kabul. 

‘ ISIL has claimed responsibility for that attack.  We will continue to do what we can to support the Afghan security forces as they take on the ISIL threat in that country and do our part to take on ISIL wherever it might exist.” said US Defense Secretary, Ash Carter.

Carter emphasized on the further plans for coming operations, and the additional commitments they identified that they will need to insure their coalition delivers ISIL the lasting defeat it deserves.

” we know that the — defeating ISIL is more than a one country, one military or one ministry job.  We all have work to do and we have to work together,” Carter added.

Expressing condolences to the people of Germany and to Afghanistan, particularly for that horrific attack that took place in Kabul over the weekend, Gen.  Joseph Dunford stated about their new authority on supporting Afghan security forces in the new fighting season.

“One of the reasons why we’re continuing in our advise-assist effort.  I was there just last weekend to see the Afghan air force, as a matter of fact, and one of the things we’re working on very closely is the integration of their air element with ground forces.  And one of the very important things we emphasize as we work that integration is to mitigate the risk of civilian casualties,” said Gen.  Joseph Dunford.

” I think president recognized when he approved the request that Secretary Carter made for 2017, as the secretary said, that some areas still lag in terms of capability development for the Afghan forces. And our continued presence into 2017 and financial support by NATO nations, as approved at Warsaw, will continue out to 2020,” Dunford Added.

On the ground, the NATO-led coalition advising government forces estimates the number of Daesh fighters at between 1,000-3,000, many of them former members of militant groups like the Taliban Movement of Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan or the Afghan Taliban itself.

According to Afghanistan’s interior ministry, 654 Daesh and Taliban fighters, including several senior commanders, have been killed in Nangarhar province in the last two months.