<span style="color: #222222;">Afghan special forces killed 27 terrorists, after launching a new offensive against the Islamic State terror group in eastern Nangarhar province. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Provincial council member Ajmal Omar said, the special forces, backed by helicopter gunships, targeted Islamic State in Achin district of the province yesterday. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The province has been a stronghold of the terror group. He said, two local IS leaders were among those killed. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">However, the terrorists' media arm, the Aamaq news agency, claimed that the group repulsed a joint Afghan-US operation in the area. The remoteness of the area makes it impossible to independently investigate conflicting reports. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Meanwhile, the Taliban launched two blistering attacks on police outposts in Sar-e-Pul province last night, killing 15 policemen and wounding 21 others.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani said, fierce gunbattles raged for several hours in Sayyad district and outside Sar-e-Pul.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Taliban spokesman Qari Yousof Ahmadi has claimed responsibility for both attacks.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Taliban have been carrying out repeated attacks targeting Afghan forces despite stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country's 17-year war. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The relentless violence and deteriorating security battering Afghanistan come when President Donald Trump is considering withdrawal of 7,000 US soldiers in the summer. </span><br />