The Ministry of defense in a released statement said Tuesday that five Pakistani al-Qaeda Pakistani affiliates were killed in an airstrike by Afghan Air Force in Helmand Province.
According to MoD 13 militants including five members of al-Qaeda were killed during an air raid conducted on a Taliban hideout in Helmand province.
MoD’s bulletin added, A Taliban hideout was targeted in Nahre-e-Saraj distrtict of Helmand province.
The statement further elaborated, that the five members of al-Qaeda belonged to Pakistan’s Punjab province, who were professional bomb makers.
The insurgents reportedly used to train Taliban members on how to make IEDs and bombs, the statement said.
This is not the first time, early reports indicate that al-Qaeda and foreign fighters were killed in various operations in the ranks of the Taliban fighters.
A few months ago, al-Qaeda’s second in command Abu Mohsin al-Mesri was killed in an ANDSF targeted attack in Ghazni province.
Taliban have repeatedly denied having kept any links to al-Qaeda but several senior members of the group were killed during the recent months in Taliban-controlled regions.
Under the US-Taliban agreement, the Taliban are required to cut and sever all ties with al-Qaeda and other international “terrorist” groups.
