Pentagon: U.S. Drone Strike Smoked Top ISIS Leader In Afghanistan and Pakistan

The top ISIS leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed Khan, was killed by a U.S. drone strike last month. The Pentagon confirmed that Khan died on July 26 from an airstrike in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.

“Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar,” Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said of the Islamic State commander.

Fuck that Daeshbag.

Trowbridge added that ISIL had been active in the region since last summer and used the area to train and equip militants as well as provide a “continuous supply of enemy fighters.”

“ISIS was responsible for a suicide attack in Kabul on July 24 that killed 80 people and wounded more than 250. Two days later, the drone strike killed Khan,” NPR reported.

The State Department has had their watchful eye on Khan since last year when they declared him a global terrorist, saying he is the leader of the Islamic State in Khorasan, which includes former Taliban members from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Khan had previously been a Tehrik-e Taliban commander, but last year pledged loyalty to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

U.S. and Afghan leaders have been concerned about the growth of ISIS in Afghanistan, where officials believe there are between 1,000-1,500 Islamic State fighters. In January, President Obama authorized U.S. airstrikes against ISIS in Afghanistan. Last month, a U.S.-backed Afghan military offensive was launched to hit Daesh.

[protected-iframe id=”839c5006c065d7aed59473cc5fab0bd3-97886205-93291949″ info=”//giphy.com/embed/pYfEywOAolwnm” width=”480″ height=”330″ frameborder=”0″ class=”giphy-embed” allowfullscreen=””]