NATO kills senior Al Qaeda man in Afghanistan | WPN World People News

A weekend NATO strike has left dead two Al Qaeda leaders, including the second in command of the terror network in Afghanistan, an official statement said Tuesday, a claim denied by Taliban.

In the statement, NATO said Saudi-born Sakhar al-Taifi, the group's second most senior figure in Afghanistan, was killed in "a precision air strike" in the Watapur district of Kunar province Sunday night.

Another rank-and-file member of Al Qaeda was killed at the same time, the statement said.

Taifi, also known as Mushtaq and Nasim, was commanding foreign insurgents in Afghanistan and directing attacks against NATO and Afghan forces, said the statement.

The Al Qaeda commander frequently traveled between Afghanistan and Pakistan to carry out commands from senior leadership of the network and ferrying in weapons and fighters.

But the Taliban, with which Taifi had close links, denied that the Al Qaeda leader was killed.

The Taliban claimed that Taifi had left the area three months ago.

But Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told the Afghan Islamic Press news agency that a bombing raid in the area had left two Afghan Taliban dead.

"There are no Al Qaeda fighters in Watapur and no foreign national was killed there," Mujahid said.

BBC quoted unnamed senior intelligence officials as saying that Taifi had expertise in making roadside bombs and suicide vests. He also funded and trained suicide attackers in Kunar.

He had replaced Al-Qaeda commander Abu Ikhlas al-Masri who was captured in Kunar.

According to NATO estimates, there are fewer than 100 Al Qaeda operatives in the country.

Kunar is a known hotbed of Afghan conflict and has been a haven for militants in the northeastern corner of Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan's tribal areas.

Source: The Asia News.Net