Top al-Qaeda commander killed in US air strike

  • 25/07/2015
(Reuters)
(Reuters)

The Pentagon says a recent US air strike in Afghanistan killed a senior al-Qaeda commander in charge of suicide bombing and two other militants.

The attack, which occurred in Paktika province on July 11, killed Abu Khalil al-Sudani, a "high-ranking al-Qaeda operational commander", the Pentagon said in a statement released to reporters in Iraq on Friday (local time) travelling with US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

"Al-Sudani was one of three known violent extremists killed in the strike. The death of al-Sudani will further degrade al-Qaeda operations across the globe," the statement said.

The Pentagon described Sudani as a senior shura member and head of al-Qaeda's suicide and explosive operations, and said he was directly linked to plotting attacks against the United States.

"He also directed operations against Coalition, Afghan and Pakistani forces, and maintained a close association with Aymar al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's leader," the statement said.

AFP