Commanders among 20 IS fighters dead in Laghman airstrikes

Monitoring Desk

JALALABAD: Afghan defense on Saturday said 20 Islamic State (IS) or Daesh fighters were killed after airstrikes in eastern Laghman province. The airstrikes were conducted in the Kandagal and Noorlam Dara areas of Alingar district yesterday, said Afghan National Army (ANA) 201st Corps in eastern Afghanistan.

It said two commanders, Maulvi Turab and Musa Khan, were among the dead. Afghan defense ministry also confirmed the death of 20 IS fighters in the airstrikes. The Afghan authorities did not disclose if the airstrikes were carried out by Afghan air force or NATO-led coalition forces.

Interior ministry, however, said in a press release that 14 IS fighters including three commanders, Musa, Maulvi Feroz and Maulvi Turab, were killed in the Kandagal and Noorlam Dara airstrikes. After Nangarhar, Jowzjan and Kunar, Laghman is the fourth Afghan province where the IS or Daesh has strong presence with Alingar districts as its hotbed. Few weeks ago, Taliban killed two Daesh commanders, Abu Qamar al-Khorasani and Abu Zia, in the Alingar district.

In a separate statement, the interior ministry said four Taliban were killed when a bomb they were making in a house in Batash village, Narai district, Kunar province, when off last night. It said key Taliban commander Jahan who was allegedly involved in several incidents of insecurity was among the dead. Similarly, the defense ministry said 33 anti-government gunmen were killed and nine more wounded during operations in six provinces of the country over the past 24 hours.