A commander of the Taliban group was killed in an airstrike in central Maidan Wardak province of Afghanistan, the defense officials said Wednesday.
The airstrike was carried out by the Afghan Air Force in the vicinity of Shashgaw area targeting the Taliban militants.
Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, confirmed that the Taliban commander was identified as Mansoor who was killed in the air raid.
He said at least 5 al-Qaeda affiliates were also killed during a separate airstrike conducted in the southeastern Paktika province.
Waziri further added that a vehicle packed with explosives was also destroyed in the air raid.
The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the reports so far.
Both Wardak and Paktika provinces are among the relatively volatile provinces in southeastern Afghanistan where anti-government armed militant groups are actively operating.
The Afghan forces have stepped up counterterrorism operations to suppress the insurgency activities of the militant groups as they attempt to increase attacks as part of their spring offensive.
