IS suffers another blow in Afghanistan as its third leader killed in strikes

Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-15 21:07:04|Editor: Zhou Xin
Video PlayerClose

KABUL, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Militants loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group have suffered another blow in Afghanistan as Abu Sayed, the third leader of the hardliner group in this conflict-hit country was killed, a statement of United State Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-Afghanistan) said on Saturday.

The first leader of IS group in Afghanistan or Khorasan branch of the hardliner outfit, Hafiz Sayed Khan, had been killed in July 2016 and the death of his successor Abdul Hasib was confirmed in April 2017.

Khorasan branch of the IS group reportedly covers Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, central Asian states of the former Soviet Union and parts of India.

Abu Sayed, according to the U.S. sources had served as supreme commander of IS in Khorasan province.

"U.S forces killed Abu Sayed, the emir of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria -- Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) -- in a strike on the group's headquarters in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, July 11," Afghan media Khaama Press quoted Pentagon sources as saying.

Afghan officials have yet to make comment on the death of Abu Sayed, the so-called emir of IS fighters in Afghanistan.

Commander of the U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan General General John Nicholson in a statement released here confirmed the death of Abu Sayed, calling it "another success in our campaign to defeat ISIS-K in Afghanistan in 2017."

"Abu Sayed is the third ISIS-K emir we have killed in the last year and we will continue until they are annihilated. There is no safe haven for ISIS-K in Afghanistan," Nicholson said in the statement.

IS militants who have been fighting the government forces in the eastern Nangarhar, northern Jawzjan and some certain parts of Afghanistan have yet to make comment.

Khan Mohammad Daneshjo, Afghan analyst and editor-in-chief of the weekly Abbadi, regarded Abu Sayed's death as a major setback to the armed outfit, saying the group needs time to find his successor.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001364464391