31 May 2016, 11:06 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A US drone strike, with support from Afghan forces on the ground, has killed an Islamic State regional leader Hafiz Saeed Khan, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal said in an interview released on Friday.
"Yes, I can confirm that Hafiz Saeed Khan has been killed," Zakhilwal stated as quoted by the Pakistani Express Tribune.
The airstrike reportedly took place on July 26 in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan, and has also killed at least 23 Islamic State commanders, including Khorasan faction head Hafiz Saeed, according to media reports.
On Wednesday, NATO Resolute Support Mission Commander Gen. John Nicholson said US and Afghan forces killed about 300 Islamic State fighters in Nangarhar Province.
The Islamic State, which is outlawed in the United States, Russia and many other nations, gained a foothold in Afghanistan after infighting between Taliban factions broke out in 2015.
