Afghanistan’s military plans to launch a major operation to stop Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) making inroads into the country’s northern provinces, officials said on Tuesday. The operation will target the provinces of Sari Pul, Faryab and Jowzjan, Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. “We know there are foreign fighters among them, but we will eliminate all of them, regardless of their nationality,” he promised. French and Algerian fighters, some arriving from Syria, have joined new IS bases in northern Afghanistan, AFP has reported.