IS fighters surrender to Afghan forces after Taliban assault

Afghan officials say more than 150 Islamic State fighters have surrendered to government forces in the face of an onslaught by the Taliban in the northern Jawzjan province.

Gen Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, the provincial police chief, said 152 fighters surrendered today, including Habib-ul Rahman, their commander.

Abdul Hai Hayat, the head of the provincial council, said they surrendered after the Taliban flooded reinforcements into two districts in recent weeks.

The Taliban and IS are both battling to overthrow the Western-backed government and impose a harsh form of Islamic rule, but are fiercely divided over leadership, ideology and tactics.

The Taliban said in a statement that they had killed dozens of IS fighters and captured more than 130 in Jawzjan, adding that 17 Taliban militants were killed and 13 wounded.