IT'S ONLY BEGINNING WITH TALIBAN HELP EVACUATING:

ISIS-K's general strategy is to establish a beachhead for the Islamic State movement to expand its so-called caliphate to Central and South Asia.

It aims to cement itself as the foremost jihadist organization in the region, in part by seizing the legacy of jihadist groups that came before it. This is evident in the group's messaging, which appeals to veteran jihadist fighters as well as younger populations in urban areas.

Like the group's namesake in Iraq and Syria, ISIS-K leverages the expertise of its personnel and operational alliances with other groups to carry out devastating attacks. These attacks target minorities like Afghanistan's Hazara and Sikh populations, as well as journalists, aid workers, security personnel and government infrastructure.

ISIS-K's goal is to create chaos and uncertainty in a bid to push disillusioned fighters from other groups into their ranks, and to cast doubt on any ruling government's ability to provide security for the population.

What relationship does ISIS-K have with the Taliban?

ISIS-K sees the Afghan Taliban as its strategic rivals. It brands the Afghan Taliban as "filthy nationalists" with ambitions only to form a government confined to the boundaries of Afghanistan. This contradicts the Islamic State movement's goal of establishing a global caliphate.

Since its inception, ISIS-K has tried to recruit Afghan Taliban members while also targeting Taliban positions throughout the country.

ISIS-K's efforts have met with some success, but the Taliban have managed to stem the group's challenges by pursuing attacks and operations against ISIS-K personnel and positions.

These clashes have often occurred in tandem with U.S. and Afghan air power and ground operations against ISIS-K, although the full extent to which these operations were coordinated is still unclear.

What is clear is that the majority of ISIS-K's manpower and leadership losses were the result of U.S. and Afghan-led operations, and American air strikes in particular.

How much of a threat is ISIS-K in Afghanistan and to the international community?

As a relatively weakened organization, ISIS-K's immediate goals are to replenish its ranks and signal its resolve through high-profile attacks. Doing so can help ensure that the group doesn't become an irrelevant player in the Afghanistan-Pakistan landscape.

After suicide bombers and gunmen launched an assault in Kabul on Thursday that left at least 13 U.S. troops and dozens of Afghan civilians dead, the head of U.S. Central Command, Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., said the Taliban has "thwarted" several attacks in Afghanistan since effectively taking control of the government earlier this month.

Just as the Taliban has been fighting American coalition forces in Afghanistan, it has been waging a separate but parallel war against its rival Islamist group.

On one side are the Taliban, who have co-opted remnants of al Qaeda. On the other is the Afghan arm of Islamic State, known as ISIS-K, which has sought to incorporate parts of Afghanistan into a broader caliphate emanating from the Middle East.

The Taliban, assisted at times by other countries and U.S. coalition forces, were the winner in that effort, defense officials say. ISIS-K has been driven from its enclaves in Afghanistan and its fighters dispersed into hiding. There appeared to be little resistance as the Taliban swept across the country this month in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal.

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