Winter Fighting Increases in Afghanistan

The US is stepping up airstrikes in Afghanistan, targeting ISIS in the country’s south while Taliban is turning on the group as well. Operation Resolute Support spokesman Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner said during a Thursday briefing that there are up to 3,000 ISIS fighters in Afghanistan, and the group is continuing to support. This ISIS force and related activity has shown that there is no longer a slowdown in fighting in winter, Shoffner said. This is shown by an increase in US airpower in Afghanistan. In January, combined forces dropped 128 weapons in Afghanistan – the most in January in the past three years, and an increase from just 31 total airstrikes in December. Aircraft flew 411 sorties, with 51 sorties with at least one weapon release, according to Air Forces Central Command.