ISIS says it fired rockets on US base in Afghanistan

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Islamic State–Khorasan (ISIS-K) claims it carried out Thursday’s rocket attack on Bagram airfield, the largest US base in Afghanistan. There were no casualties or injuries. Bagram’s NATO-led US military mission, Operation Resolute Support, confirmed in a tweet that five rockets were fired at the base early in the morning on Thursday.

The attack came a day after the Afghan government released 100 prisoners as part of the recently negotiated US-Taliban peace deal, Fox News reports. The deal did not include ISIS, which has had a presence in Afghanistan since 2014. The US military has estimated there are some 2000 ISIS militants in the country.

Reuters reported that the Taliban quickly denied any involvement in Thursday’s assault; the ISIS-K claim of responsibility came hours after the denial. ISIS has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan, not only against government and foreign forces but also against the Taliban; the two groups are fierce enemies themselves.

Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for the governor of Parwan province, told Stars and Stripes: “Foreign forces intercepted two of the rockets in the air, and the other three landed outside the base.” It is believed the rockets were fired from a burnt-out Toyota Corona car that was discovered in the Dasht-e-Sofyan area, a few miles from the airfield.

ISIS-K claimed responsibility for a similar attack on the base on March 21; there were no injuries then either.

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