Pentagon confirms death of Hafiz Saeed Khan Daesh top leader for Afghanistan and Pakistan

Deputy to press secretary of Pentagon Gordon Trowbridge said in a statement that Hafiz Saeed Khan IS head for Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a US drone strike in Achin district of eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on July 26.

 

The official said that Khan had been appointed as top IS leader for Afghanistan and Pakistan in January 2015 after he pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.

 

According to Trowbridge statement, Hafiz Saeed khan was former Pakistani Taliban militant who joined Daesh in 2015.

 

“Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, and the actions of this network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar.” Said Trowbridge.

 

He furthered in the statement that Khan established training camps for Daesh in Afghanistan and was responsible for several suicide attacks.

 

Trowbridge added “Khan’s death affects ISIL-K recruiting efforts and will disrupt ISIL-k’s operations in Afghanistan and the region.”

 

However, this is not the first time reports of Hafiz Saeed Khan’s death go viral. In January 2016, some reports suggested that Khan had been killed in US drone strikes, but the news was never confirmed.

 

Afghan ministry of defence officials also confirmed that Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed in a US drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province.

 

Daesh was first sighted in Afghanistan in early 2015 but was not suspected a threat at the time. It is reported the terror group has made strongholds and hideouts in remote areas of eastern Nangarhar province and border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.