Afghan official: NATO drones kill 11 IS fighters

An IS affiliate has emerged in eastern Afghanistan as a rival to the much larger Taliban.

A U.S. Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile on the tarmac of the Kandahar military airport. (FILE PHOTO)

An Afghan official says NATO drone strikes killed 11 Islamic State (IS) militants, including two senior commanders, in the eastern Nangarhar province.

Mohammad Hussain Mashraqiwal, a spokesman for the provincial police chief, identified the two commanders killed in Wednesday’s strikes as Mohammed Omar Sadiq and Omar Farooq, adding that another six people were wounded.

U.S. Navy Cpt. Bill Salvin, a military spokesman, confirmed that American forces conducted counterterrorism strikes in Nangarhar on Wednesday, without providing further details.

IS affiliate

An IS affiliate has emerged in eastern Afghanistan as a rival to the much larger Taliban, and has carried out attacks targeting the country’s Shiite minority and security forces.