Asia & Pacific

Islamic State radio station taken out in suspected U.S. strike

in Afghanistan
By Sayed Salahuddin and Tim Craig February 2

KABULAnIslamicStateradiostationthathadbecomeasymbolofthegroupsreachintorelativelylawlessareasof
easternAfghanistanwasleveledMondayeveningbyasuspectedU.S.airstrike,accordingtoofficialsinAfghanistans
Nangaharprovince.
Atthetime,thestationwasinthemiddleofoneofitsnightlytransmissionswarningresidentstoshowsupportfortheIslamic
Stateorelsebekilled.
Ithappenedastheradiowasbroadcastinglive,saidHazartHussainMashrigiwal,aspokesmanforthelocalpoliceforce.
Thetransmissionjuststoppedoperating,andwebelievetheairstrikewasconductedbyadrone.
AccordingtoMashrigiwal,threeIslamicStateradiotechnicianswerefoundintherubble.AhmadAliHazrat,headofthe
Nangaharprovincialcouncil,saidatleastfiveIslamicStatetechnicianswerekilled.
Inastatement,theU.S.led
coalitioninAfghanistandeclinedtodiscussspecificsofthereportedstrike.ButCol.Michael
Lawhorn,aspokesmanforU.SforcesinAfghanistan,saidthemilitaryhadconductedtwocounterterrorismstrikesin
NangaharsAchindistrictlateMonday,accordingtotheAssociatedPress.
Foroperationalsecurityreasons,wecannotdiscussdetailsofthecounterterrorismoperations,Lawhornsaid.
Whenthestation,dubbedCaliphateRadiobyitsoperators,launchedinDecember,itpromptedfearthroughoutAfghanistan
aswellasPakistansborderregion,whereitalsocouldbeheard.Militantswerenowabletocommunicatedirectlywith
potentialrecruitsandissuepublicthreatstodissenters.
Afghanmilitaryleadersinitiallysaidtheycouldntdeterminetheoriginoftheradiobroadcasts.Thatheightenedconcern
amongAfghansandWesternanalystsaboutAfghanforcesabilitytoconductevenbasicintelligenceoperationstohaltthe
IslamicStatesadvance.
Now,however,theU.S.militaryappearstobesteppingupitsroleineffortstopreventtheIslamicStatefromgaininga
footholdinAfghanistan,asthegroupdidinSyriaandIraqandwhereitwentontocreatehavens.

Lastmonth,theStateDepartmentnamedtheIslamicStatesKhorasanbranchthegroupschapterinAfghanistanand
Pakistanaterroristorganizationandimposedsanctionsonitsleaders.PresidentObamaalsogavethePentagonwider
latitudetotakeoffensiveactionagainstthemilitantfightersinAfghanistan,accordingtomediareports.
InaninterviewpublishedbytheNewYorkTimesonSunday,Maj.Gen.JeffreyBuchanan,deputychiefofstaffforU.S.
militaryoperationsinAfghanistan,saidthePentagonnowhastheabilitytotaketheglovesoff.
Still,someAfghananalystsworrythattheairstrikeswillnotdealalastingblowtotheIslamicStateinAfghanistan.
ThegroupismadeupofformermembersofthePakistaniTaliban,atleastsomeofwhomcontinuetotravelbackandforth
acrosstheporousPakistanAfghanistanborder.Takingoutaradiostationistheeasypart,saidBashirBezhen,aKabulbased
politicalanalyst.
Weneedtocomeupwithastrategytowipeoutthisthreatonceandforall,hesaid,addingthattheIslamicStateisstillata
novicestageinAfghanistan.
Otheranalystsnotedthatthedismantlingoftheradiobroadcastmayberelativelyshortlived,giventheIslamicStateshistory
ofimprovising.ButseverallistenersfromwesternPakistanstribalbeltconfirmedthattheycouldntpickupthebroadcast
Tuesdayevening.
CraigreportedfromDubai.MohammadSharifinKabulcontributedtothisreport.
Readmore:
TheIslamicStateismakingtheseAfghanslongfortheTaliban
MeettheshadowyfigurerecruitingfortheIslamicStateinAfghanistan
TodayscoveragefromPostcorrespondentsaroundtheworld

Tim Craig is The Posts bureau chief in Pakistan. He has also covered conflicts in Iraq,
Afghanistan and within the District of Columbia government.