The US confirmed last month that the leader of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a drone strike.

Hafiz Saeed Khan is the leader of IS in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Photo: SITEINTELGROUP

"I can confirm that the ISIS leaderHafiz Saeed Khan and his senior commanders and fighters died in a US drone strike on July 26 in Kot district, province.Nangarhar, AfghanistanReutersQuoting Omar Zakhilwal, Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, yesterday, he mentioned another name for the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge later confirmed Khan's death. Trowbridge said the drone strike was part of a joint operation between the U.S. and Afghan special forces targeting ISIS in southern Nangarhar province. Trowbridge stated the strike took place in Achin district, contradicting Ambassador Zakhilwal's statement.

The operation took place three days after IS carried out its deadliest attack in Afghanistan, killing 80 people and injuring 230.

Khan was a former member of the Pakistani branch of the Taliban who had pledged allegiance to ISIS in the Middle East. There were earlier reports that Khan had died last year, but his death was never confirmed.

Khan's death is a blow to ISIS as the group attempts to expand its base in Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan. This marks the second time in months that the U.S. has killed a notorious militant in the region. In May, a U.S. drone killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the Taliban leader in Afghanistan, in an airstrike in Pakistan.

Location of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. Graphic: BBC

According to VNE