WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — After 13 years of NATO-led combat operations, the Taliban insurgency continues to endure in Afghanistan as ISIL attempts to expand its footprint, the US Defense Department said in a report.
“The Taliban-led insurgency remains resilient,” the report, released on Tuesday, stated. “ISIL will likely continue to try to expand its presence in Afghanistan during the upcoming year.”
The analysis is part of the US Defense Department’s inaugural “Report on Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan,” which the Defense Department is required to submit to US Congress every 180 days through fiscal year 2017.
The Taliban, according to the report, and ISIL will continue competing for relevance in Afghanistan with other terrorist and insurgent groups.
The Taliban have felt emboldened, the report argued, since the end of 2014, when the US-led coalition in Afghanistan transitioned from combat operations to train and assist mode.
In a letter posted online Tuesday, the Taliban warned ISIL to stop recruiting insurgent fighters in Afghanistan. In May 2015, clashes between the Afghan Taliban and ISIL left at least 27 dead.
On December 31, 2014, the US-led coalition ended combat operations in Afghanistan but left 10,000 military personnel behind to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces.
President Barack Obama said in March 2015 that all the remaining US military bases in Afghanistan will be closed by the end of 2016.
