ISIS Leader in Afghanistan Killed By Drone, According to Pentagon

ISIL-K uses the area to train, equip, disseminate and control fighter pipelines, providing ISIL-K commanders throughout Afghanistan with a continuous supply of enemy fighters from this province.

The commander of American and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Gen. John Nicholson, has said that dozens of IS commanders and hundreds of fighters have been killed since the Afghan military declared its offensive in late July.

Hafiz Sayed Khan was killed in a July 26 strike in Nangarhar province, the Pentagon said.

Mr Trowbridge says Khan’s death will “disrupt” IS operations in Afghanistan.

Reports of Khan’s death at that time turned out to be untrue. But a claim by Afghan intelligence agents a year ago that he had been killed was never confirmed. Last month Nicholson told reporters that the Islamic State’s presence in Afghanistan has been cut in half, from some 3,000 fighters to 1,500 after heavy airstrikes and frequent ground operations by US and Afghan forces.

Last month, IS also claimed an attack on a Shi’ite Hazara rally in Kabul which killed 80 people.

Local tribal leaders say that these insecurities are rising due to the Taliban, which is a stronger group than IS, having made an alliance with the jihadists after the deadly year, for the objective of fighting off the government forces. Roughly a week later, the Islamic State posted pictures of captured US equipment and identification cards from a USA soldier who had been involved in the operations.

“Once government forces leave, we fear Daesh will return and resume their operations”, he added.

Despite that, Afghanistan’s 15-year-old war grinds on with no clear victory in sight.

Seven crew members, including a Russian navigator, were taken hostage by a group of militants believed to be Afghan Taliban.

In confirmed, Hafiz Saeed Khan’s death would strike a blow to efforts by Middle East-based Islamic State to expand its territory and its jihadist push into Afghanistan and Pakistan. In May, a US drone killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the Afghan Taliban leader, according to USA officials. Before allegiance to ISIS, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed Khan also commanded the Taliban movement of Pakistan.