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Senior Taliban leader killed in NATO drone attack in eastern Afghanistan

24 May 2012 01:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA A senior Taliban leader was killed Wednesday in a NATO drone attack in the eastern Afghan province of Nuristan, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"The Taliban deputy shadowy governor for Nuristan named Shaikh Jamil and another Taliban fighter named Hakimullah were killed after a missile fired by the NATO drone hit a compound suspected of being an insurgent hideout at about 10:30 a.m. local time in the Himshuz area in Waygal district," provincial police chief Ghulamullah told Xinhua.

Mountainous Nuristan and neighboring Kunar province have been branded as a Taliban hotbed in eastern Afghanistan.

The Taliban insurgent group, which announced it would launch a spring rebel offensive from May 3 against Afghan and NATO forces, has not to make comments.

In another development, a service member with the NATO-led coalition or International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed Wednesday in a blast in southern Afghanistan, the coalition confirmed in a press release.

"An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today," the ISAF said without disclosing more details.

A total of 160 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year.