WASHINGTON — ISIS terror group militants took over equipment and weapons abandoned by US troops supporting Afghani soldiers under fire in east Afghanistan, a US military official confirmed late Tuesday.
ISIS media disseminated photos this past weekend of the seized weapons, including a rocket launcher, grenades, machine gun ammunition, identification cards, and an encrypted radio.
The CNN quoted US Brig Gen Charles Cleveland, chief spokesman for the US-led anti-ISIS coalition, said US troops came under "effective enemy fire" in eastern Afghanistan on July 25. This forced the troops to abandon their position and led to some of their equipment being captured and displayed in the gang photos distributed by ISIS, according to Cleveland.
US troops, including Special Operations Forces, had been in combat against ISIS militants who took stronghold in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province for several days when the incident occurred in July.
Wounded troops had already been moved from the area at the time the equipment was left. But as a result of the incoming fire, the collection point "was moved to a safer location," in the course of which "some equipment was left behind," Cleveland said.
"For understandable reasons, the lives of the soldiers were not put at risk to recover the equipment," he continued. "Neither US positions or personnel were overrun."
(Petra)
