WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say an American drone strike in July killed a top Islamic State group leader in Afghanistan.
The officials say Hafiz Saeed Khan died in southern Nangahar Province on July 26.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The State Department last year designated Khan a global terrorist, saying he is the leader of the Islamic State in Khorasan, which includes former members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban. Khan had previously been a Tehrik-e Taliban commander, but last year pledged loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
U.S. and Afghan leaders have been concerned about the growth of IS in Afghanistan. They were targeted by a U.S.-backed Afghan military offensive last month, in which five U.S. commandos were injured.
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