Drone kills 30 Taliban, IS militants in Nangarhar

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Drone strikes killed 30 Islamic State and Taliban militants, including two key commanders, and injured another three Taliban fighters in easte Nangarhar province, officials said on Monday.

Nangarhar police spokesman Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal told Pajhowk Afghan News the drone strikes took place last night in Achin, Momand Dara and Khogyani districts.

A Daesh commander named Sajid was among 19 others killed in the strikes in Achin’s Pekha area, he said, adding the dead included some Pakistani rebels. He said Sajid had been spearheading a 50-member armed group.

The goveor’s spokesman, Attaullah Khogyani, said Sajid was a resident of Pakistan’s Orakzai tribal region and he led the latest attacks in Kot district. He said dead included Sajid’s nephew as well.

Sher Aqa Faqiri, the 201 Selab Military Corps spokesman, said the drone targeted hideouts of Daesh militants and destroyed their weapons and ammunition.

Officials said a Taliban commander Sabir Kuchi was killed along with nearly a dozen fighters in a drone strike in the Khogyani district. Another three were injured, they said.

Mashriqiwal said commander Sabir Kuchi was living in Kot district and he was considered among key Taliban commanders. Sabir had been involved in a series attacks, he said.

A resident of Khogyani district, Obaidullah, said Sabir Kuchi was travelling in a convoy of vehicles with his fighters when came under attack from the air.

He said it was being rumoured that Sabir had been killed in the attack.

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