Khalilzad says death of Daesh leaders would be a ‘significant blow’ to the group

Washington’s former special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said on Monday that if the Islamic Emirate’s claims of having killed three senior Daesh members was confirmed this would be a “significant blow to IS-K in Northern Afghanistan.”

Khalizad tweeted that the IEA had committed in the Doha Agreement to fight Daesh and that the “removal of these ISIS leaders indicates that it is doing so.”

“The US and Taliban should increase engagement to complete implementation of the Doha Agreement which serves Afghan and US interests,” he said.

This comes after the IEA announced on Sunday that three “key members” of Daesh had been killed in an operation in Balkh province.

According to the IEA, Mawlavi Ziauddin, the second highest ranked person in Daesh in the country; Abu Omar Afridi, a member of the Khorasan branch council; and Ustad Salman Tajikstani, one of the officials of Daesh military training unit, were killed.

Ziauddin had reportedly been the “Governor of Daesh for Khorasan” and “in charge of administrative and judicial affairs”.

The IEA said Ustad Salman was a citizen of Tajikistan and a specialist in military training and making explosives.