Abdul Hasib, the commander of Islamic State in Afghanistan was killed in a joint operation carried out by the US and Afghanistan special forces. The raid was conducted by the special forces on April 27 in the eastern province of Nangarhar but was confirmed yesterday.

Hasib was appointed last year after his predecessor Hafiz Saeed Khan died in a US drone strike, and is believed to have ordered a series of high-profile attacks including one on March 8 on the main military hospital in Kabul, a statement said.

The Afghan Government in Kabul released a statement announcing the details of the operation. The statement said, “Sheikh Abdul Hasib, the Emir of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) in Afghanistan was killed in a combined Afghan/U.S. raid in Nangarhar on April 27.” It added, “He had ordered the attack on 400-bed hospital in Kabul that resulted in the death and injuries of a number of our countrymen, women… The Afghan government is committed to continuing its operations against Daesh and other terrorist groups until they are annihilated.”

General John Nicholson, Commander U.S. Forces – Afghanistan said, “This successful joint operation is another important step in our relentless campaign to defeat ISIS-K in 2017.” He further added, “This is the second ISIS-K emir we have killed in nine months, along with dozens of their leaders and hundreds of their fighters”.