KABUL (Reuters) – NATO-led forces fighting in Afghanistan mentioned on Wednesday that an airstrike had killed a senior commander of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network and two of his associates in eastern Khost province, around the Pakistan border.

Dilawar, who was only acknowledged by 1 title, was a “principal subordinate” to Haji Mali Khan, who NATO captured last week and explained at the time was the top rated Haqqani commander for Afghanistan.

Dilawar’s death is “an additional important reduction for the insurgent group,” the NATO-led International Security Support Power (ISAF) explained in a statement that described his duties as which includes coordinating attacks on Afghan forces and arranging weapons deliveries.

NATO also stated that Dilawar aided foreign militants shift into Afghanistan and had hyperlinks with each al Qaeda and the Islamic Motion of Uzbekistan.

The Afghan and coalition power had performed more than 530 procedures to disrupt Haqqani network routines in eastern Afghanistan so far this yr, NATO mentioned.

Close to 1,400 suspected Haqqani insurgents had been captured this year, a hundred since the begin of Oct by yourself, and 20 network leaders killed, NATO stated.

The Haqqani network is a single of 3 Taliban-allied insurgent factions fighting in Afghanistan and possibly the most feared — they are imagined to have launched suicide bombing to the state and be behind a lot of large-profile attacks.

They have sworn allegiance to the Taliban, but have lengthy been suspected of also having ties to Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Companies Intelligence (ISI) directorate.

The outgoing chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Employees, Admiral Mike Mullen, testified just before the U.S. Senate after an attack on the U.S. embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul considered to be the operate of the group, that the Haqqani network was a “veritable arm” of the ISI.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, who heads the group, says it no lengthier needs sanctuaries in Pakistan and it feels secure operating in Afghanistan.

(Reporting by Zhou Xin Editing by Emma Graham-Harrison)

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