Green Berets and local allies drive ISIS from their capital in Afghanistan.

A Green Beret at an outpost in Afghanistan. Military.com/Stars and Stripes. 

The Green Berets and local special forces have driven ISIS from their capital in Afghanistan. Stars and Stripes. The operation was one of the biggest in Afghan history and resulted in 167 ISIS casualties and zero coalition ones. 600 Green Berets, consisting of five separate special forces team, with three companies of Afghan special forces with them. The town, Gurgoray, had served as a local capital for ISIS was liberated with surviving ISIS forces fleeing into the mountains. ISIS has been using the region as a launchpad for terror attacks throughout the country. ISIS has lost more than half their territory in Afghanistan and have retreated to Tora Bora province. 

My Comment:

An important and under reported story out of Afghanistan. ISIS has been pushed back everywhere else but Afghanistan was one of the last places where they were out in the open and hadn't been driven underground. They still stand in Afghanistan but they are greatly reduced compared to what they were. And this operation is the reason. 

ISIS has been using the Gurgoray region to launch terror attacks throughout Afghanistan. As attacks slaked off in the rest of the world, ISIS was still very active in Afghanistan, committing some very serious attacks. With this base now secure, we should see fewer terror attacks in Afghanistan, at least ones caused by ISIS. 

It is notable how many US troops were involved in this offensive. Five special forces team and 600 men is a huge commitment of US troops and the Green Beret's are the best of the best. I don't recall them being used in this way. They aren't always used as front line troops and their main mission is training. I guess they had to go along with the Afghan special forces to help them and give them some additional backbone. 

It seems they did a very good job. Taking out 167 ISIS fighters without losing anyone in return is a major accomplishment. I am guessing most of those kills were from artillery and air strikes but even considering that it's a major victory, and one that the special forces from both countries can be proud of. 

The real question is what happens next. ISIS still remains in the region and still have control of the Tora Bora area and are hiding out in the mountains. The fear is that they could return if we pull out of the area to fight other terrorists. It seems clear that we are attempting to avoid that outcome but it is certainly possible. 

The other problem is that there is now a power vacuum in this region. The Taliban, who were driven out of the region by ISIS, may return. Though the Taliban isn't as bad as ISIS, having them take over is hardly much better. 

Still, this is a major victory for Afghanistan in a war that isn't going that well. ISIS is on the run but even with that being true the Taliban are still a major threat. But with ISIS on the run now, and not just in Afghanistan, the world is a safer place.