The United States military has been given the authority to target the Islamic State militant group fighters in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said. American forces could previously only strike IS for the protection of its troops in the region. The US has so far targeted IS only in Iraq and Syria, where the militants control parts of both countries, reported Reuters.

The US State Department had earlier said that it detected the presence of an IS offshoot known as Islamic State-Khorasan in Afghanistan. Republican Senator John McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the Barack Obama administration “seems to be waking up to the fact that more than a year into the US military campaign, IS’ reach is global and growing”.