Taliban says ISIS cell destroyed after mosque attack in Kabul

Kabul

The Taliban said on Monday they had destroyed an ISIS cellin the Afghan capital, hours after a suspected IS attack on a mosque killedfive people.

The Taliban's chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said fighterscarried out the operation in the north of Kabul on Sunday evening.

"As a result of the operation, which was very decisiveand successful, the IS centre was completely destroyed and all the IS membersin it were killed," Mujahid said on Twitter.

Witnesses and AFP journalists heard blasts and gunfire inthe capital at the time of the raid, and images posted to social media showed alarge explosion and a fire at the scene.

Kabul resident and government employee Abdul Rahaman told that a "large number" of Taliban special forces attacked at leastthree houses in his neighbourhood.

"The fighting continued for several hours," hesaid, adding the sound of weapons kept him awake all night.

"They said they were after Daesh (IS) fighters in thearea," Rahman said. "I don't know how many were killed or arrested but thefighting was intense. The operation took place within hours of a deadly attacktargeting a prayer ceremony at the Eid Gah mosque in memory of Talibanspokesman Mujahid's mother, who died last week.