ISIL and the Taliban

RaisingitsblackflagovertheruggedmountainousregionsofAfghanistan,theIslamicStateofIraqandtheLevant(ISIL)hasemergedasanewthreattothewar-ravagedcountryasitbattlestheTalibanforsupremacy.　　Employingviolenceandbrutalitytoimposeitswill,WilayatKhorasan,(theancientnameISILhaschosenfortheregionmadeupofAfghanistan,Pakistanandpartsofneighbouringcountries),hasemergedinsevendifferentareasandvowedtostepupoperations,wheretheveteranfighters-theTaliban-onceheldsway.　　FightingtoreconstitutethehistoricalKhorasanintotheso-called"caliphate"ofAbuBakral-Baghdadi,thegroupsaysithasgrandplansfortheregion,startingwithuprootingtheTalibanandthegovernmentofPresidentAshrafGhani.　　CausingfrictionwiththeregionalandoverallleadershipoftheTaliban,armedbattleshaveincreasedoverthepastfewmonthswithdozensofTalibanfighterskilledinclashes,mostnotablyintheTalibanstrongholdofNangarharprovince.　　ISIL'slocalchapterhasalsomanagedtoattractdozensoffightersfromtheTaliban'sranksintoitsfold,whileforeignfightersunabletomakeittoSyriaandIraqhavethrongedtothegroup'sterritory.　　InISILandtheTaliban,welookatthegroup'sgrowingpopularity,howitmadesteadyinroadsintothecountry,andthethreatitposesforthefutureofAfghanistan.　　WegainunprecedentedaccesstoISIL'scentralleadershipandmeetchildrenasyoungasfiveyearsoldbeingtrainedtofightanddedicatetheirlivestothe'caliphate'.