The leader of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan on 26 July, a US defense official said on Friday on the condition of anonymity.
The Afghan ambassador to Pakistan had said earlier on Friday that a US drone strike had killed Hafiz Saeed Khan, in what would be a blow to efforts by ISIS to expand its control over territory and its jihadist brand into Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The US State Department last year designated Khan a global terrorist, saying he is the leader of ISIS in Khorasan, which includes former members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban.
Khan had previously been a Tehrik-e Taliban commander, but last year pledged loyalty to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
US and Afghan leaders have been concerned about the growth of ISIS in Afghanistan. The militant group was targeted by a US-backed Afghan military offensive last month, in which five US commandos were injured.
The strike took place in the Kot district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, a US official said.
(With inputs from Reuters and AP)
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