Islam Times - Pentagon says US airstrike killed al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan

Islam Times - US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says a US airstrike has killed a senior al-Qaeda commander and two other militants in Afghanistan this month.

Carter said on Friday that the airstrike killed Abu Khalil Al-Sudani in Afghanistan's Paktika province on July 11.

Carter told reporters in Iraq that Sudani, a "high-ranking al-Qaeda operational commander", was directly linked to plots to attack the United States.

“Al-Sudani was one of three known violent extremists killed in the strike. The death of al-Sudani will further degrade Al-Qaeda operations across the globe," he said.

"He also directed operations against Coalition, Afghan and Pakistani forces, and maintained a close association with Aymar al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda's leader," he added.

"We will continue to counter violent extremism in the region and the world," Carter claimed.

The Pentagon chief said two other "violent extremists" were killed in the airstrike. He did not name the two others.

Carter arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Thursday to hold talks with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi over the country’s progress in its fight against ISIL terrorists.

The US official's first visit to Iraq since taking office in February comes as the country has announced plans for a counteroffensive to recapture Anbar’s capital city of Ramadi from ISIL militants, which is expected to start within several weeks.