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| Senior IS commander in Afghanistan 'killed by a drone' | Senior IS commander in Afghanistan 'killed by a drone' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A third senior Islamic State (IS) commander has been killed in a drone strike in eastern Afghanistan, Afghan intelligence officials and police say. | A third senior Islamic State (IS) commander has been killed in a drone strike in eastern Afghanistan, Afghan intelligence officials and police say. |
| They say that Shahidullah Shahid was a former member of the Pakistani Taliban who defected to IS. He is believed to have operated under several aliases. | They say that Shahidullah Shahid was a former member of the Pakistani Taliban who defected to IS. He is believed to have operated under several aliases. |
| There has been no independent confirmation of his death. | There has been no independent confirmation of his death. |
| The BBC's David Loyn in Kabul says that Mr Shahid was a former spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban. | The BBC's David Loyn in Kabul says that Mr Shahid was a former spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban. |
| He was the most prominent of a group of fighters who appeared in a video in January, apparently filmed in Pakistan, pledging allegiance to the self-styled Islamic State. | He was the most prominent of a group of fighters who appeared in a video in January, apparently filmed in Pakistan, pledging allegiance to the self-styled Islamic State. |
| Our correspondent says that at least two other senior IS members have also been killed in drone strikes - showing that, while the remaining international forces in Afghanistan are not engaged in combat, they are taking seriously the reports of the emergence of the militant group. | Our correspondent says that at least two other senior IS members have also been killed in drone strikes - showing that, while the remaining international forces in Afghanistan are not engaged in combat, they are taking seriously the reports of the emergence of the militant group. |
| The police chief of Nangarhar province confirmed that Mr Shahid had been killed. However there has been no word from Nato - the only force capable of launching drone strikes in the area. | The police chief of Nangarhar province confirmed that Mr Shahid had been killed. However there has been no word from Nato - the only force capable of launching drone strikes in the area. |
| Nangarhar has seen an upsurge of fighting in recent weeks, mostly between IS and the Taliban, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. | Nangarhar has seen an upsurge of fighting in recent weeks, mostly between IS and the Taliban, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. |
| The province borders lawless areas inside Pakistan, and is one of the areas where IS militants are most active in Afghanistan. | |
| "Mr [Shahid] wanted to expand IS's operation in the country and with his death, it will have an impact on their activities," Afghanistan National Directorate of Security spokesman Hasib Sediqi told Reuters. | |
| He said that Mr Shahid was killed on Tuesday in the same drone strike that killed Gul Zaman - another senior IS commander- and 49 other IS militants in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, where they have recently gained ground after pushing back the Taliban. | |
| Afghanistan's spy agency, the National Directorate of Security, recently released a video on Facebook showing how its special forces were fighting against the IS threat. | |
| IS first made its presence felt in Pakistan in April, when its regional spokesman claimed their fighters had shot dead three Pakistani soldiers. | |
| Shahidullah Shahid |