34 Daesh Killed In Air Force Operation In Nangarhar

Afghan Voice Agency(AVA), At least 34 Daesh insurgents were killed and a radio station belonging to the group was destroyed during air force operations in eastern Nangarhar in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said in a statement on Monday.

“In the past 24 hours, 34 Daesh terrorists were killed and a radio station run by Daesh terrorists was destroyed after the Afghan Air Force targeted militant hideouts in the Naziyan and Achin districts of eastern Nangarhar province,” read the statement.

“The station was broadcasting illegally across Nangarhar, spreading the group’s extremist messages and issuing threats to people and government staff,” the statement said.

This comes after the Afghan government and U.S officials confirmed the death of Abdul Haseeb Logari and other high-ranking Daesh insurgents in a joint operation in Nangarhar.

In a statement Sunday night, the Pentagon confirmed the death of Logari. At the time of the raid officials said they thought Logari had been killed, but were not certain.

U.S officials said Logari, who was believed to have been the leader of Daesh in Afghanistan, was among several Daesh leaders who died in an April 27 raid. It was carried out by Afghan Special Security Forces in partnership with U.S Forces in Nangarhar province.

Two U.S Army Rangers were however killed in the same raid by what officials believe was friendly fire.

The Daesh compound targeted in this raid was located near the tunnel complex where the U.S military unleashed the “Mother Of All Bombs” - a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast device - that the Pentagon said was the biggest non-nuclear weapon it had ever used in combat.

The Pentagon says Logari directed the March 8 attack against Kabul National Military Hospital, which killed over 50 people and wounded more than 100.

The Afghan government also confirmed Logari’s death.

“He had ordered the attack on the 400 bed hospital in Kabul that resulted in the death and injuries of a number of our countrymen and women. The Afghan government is committed to continuing its operations against Daesh and other terrorist groups until they are annihilated,” the Presidential Palace said in a statement.