A fierce gunfight broke out in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on 3 August, leaving at least five people dead.

Among the dead are two Taliban police members and three members of ISIS, according to official reports.

The spokesperson of the Kabul police chief, Khalid Zadran, explained that the Taliban police launched a vital operation against the plausible hideout of ISIS fighters in the Shia-majority Karti Sakhi neighborhood in western Kabul.

Zadran went on to say that the ISIS members “threatened civilian objectives in various parts of the country, including Kabul.”

Since the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan last year, ISIS has increased its attacks in the country, mainly targeting the Shia Hazara minority communities.

As a response, the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown on ISIS cells in eastern Afghanistan. This is part of the Taliban’s pledge to stop the spread of terror groups in the country.

The Taliban police executed the operation days after the beginning of Muharram, known as the second-holiest month of the Muslim calendar after Ramadan.

ISIS claimed several attacks on the Shiite community during Ramadan, including the bombing of a mosque that killed 12 people.

The Taliban seized power a year ago, after the US-trained Afghan army fully disintegrated and former president Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

After two decades of military occupation, Afghanistan has been left in ruins. The country is also dealing with an economic blockade imposed by Washington, creating a severe humanitarian crisis that is threatening to push the country towards famine.