The leader of the Islamic State in Afghanistan was killed Saturday in an airstrike, U.S. officials said Sunday.
The counterterrorism strike against ISIS's Abu Saad Erhabi was conducted by U.S. forces, targeting in Nangarhar province, said Lt. Colonel Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for the U.S.-led NATO mission in Afghanistan. He said that in addition to Erhabi, the strike killed 10 other militants.
ISIS has been active in Afghanistan since 2015, fighting against the Taliban and Afghan and NATO forces. The United States estimates there are about 2,000 ISIS fighters in the country, but it's hard to keep track because they often go back and forth between other extremist groups. In early August, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack against an academy in Kabul, which left 48 people dead and 67 injured.
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