American troops and Afghan intelligence agents have conducted airstrikes against the Al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan.
Eight terrorists were killed and three others caught alive by US troops and National Directorate of Security (NDS) operatives, says a media report.
The raids were carried out in Helmand and Nimroz province over the past several days, the Long War Journal reported.
The strikes negate Taliban’s claim that Al Qaeda no longer has a presence in Afghanistan, following the US invasion of the country.
The US launched an airstrike on Dec. 3 that targeted a Taliban meeting in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province. At least 40 rebels were killed or wounded during the strike.
Abdullah Baloch, the Taliban’s purported shadow governor for Farah province, was among the casualties, the report added.
Eight Al Qaeda members were among those killed in the Nad Ali raid, but their names were not disclosed.
US intelligence officials told the Journal that Baloch was “dual hatted” commander: he leads members of both the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Meanwhile, the NDS personnel detained three Al Qaeda leaders on Dec. 6 during a raid in Nimroz. The Al Qaeda leaders were as Mustafa, Hafiz Abdul Aziz and Hayatullah — all Afghan nationals.
