World

Afghanistan Islamic State leader 'killed in air strike

August 26, 2018 4:10 pm

The leader of the Islamic State (IS) group in Afghanistan was killed in an air strike on Saturday, Afghan officials say.

Abu Saad Erhabi and 10 other members are said to have died in an operation in the eastern province of Nangarhar, near the border with Pakistan.

He is the fourth Afghan leader of the group to be killed in recent years.

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The IS affiliate has been active there since 2014, claiming a number of deadly recent attacks.

It is sometimes known as Islamic State Khorasan after a historic name for Afghanistan and surrounding areas.

How successful has IS been in Afghanistan?
Afghanistan country profile

The National Directorate of Security in Kabul said the strikes that killed Erhabi were part of a joint air and ground operation conducted alongside US-led coalition forces.

US officials did not confirm his death but said they had conducted a strike in the area targeting “a senior leader of a designated terrorist organisation”.