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1st LD: Senior al-Qaida leader killed in Afghan operations: gov't

Xinhua,December 05, 2017 Adjust font size:

KABUL, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A senior al-Qaida leader has been killed together with 80 anti-government militants following operations in Afghanistan, the country's intelligence agency announced on Tuesday.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said in a statement that the operations were jointly conducted by the Afghan army, NDS personnel and U.S.-led coalition forces in eastern Ghazni and neighboring Paktia and southern Zabul provinces recently.

The statement introduced the killed leader as Omar Khetab, saying Khetab was the second senior leader of the network operating in parts of Afghanistan.

Among the killed militants were several members of al-Qaida as well as dozens of Taliban insurgents, the statement read, adding, "most of the targeted militants were involved in direct attacks against security forces and coalition troops in countryside."

The group has yet to make comments. Enditem