The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is still an effective insurgent force. It has suffered the decapitation of its leadership (compliments of US air strikes). In addition, ground forces of the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) - enabled with U.S. SOF advisors/fighters and air support - have been hammering away at ISKP. Of course, there is conflict on the ground between ISKP and the Taliban as well. Despite all of this the ISKP has remained resilient. Read more on this topic in the articles below:
Another ISKP leader "dead": Where is the group headed after losing so many amirs?, by Borhan Osman, Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), July 23, 2017.
"Behind the front lines in the fight to 'annihilate' ISIS in Afghanistan", by Max Bearak, The Washington Post, July 23, 2017. The U.S. military says it wants to annihilate ISIS in Afghanistan by the end of the year. U.S. SOF are working hard with their Afghan partners to do that but it is a tough, slow fight. ISIS-K is replenishing its ranks of fighters as quickly as it suffers casualties. From a high of almost 3,000 fighters ISIS-K has been reduce to less than 1,000 - according to U.S. military sources in Kabul. But Afghan intelligence officers in Nangarhar dispute this - saying ISIS-K is much stronger.
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