Afghan Taliban forces reportedly killed Haji Musa, a senior commander of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-KP), during a targeted operation in eastern Afghanistan’s Dara Noor district, local media sources confirmed on Saturday.
Musa was considered a high-ranking IS-KP operative with active influence across multiple provinces, including Nangarhar, Kunar, and Laghman, all key regions in the group’s eastern stronghold.
Initial reports suggest Musa had escaped a Taliban-led raid earlier in the week, but was later tracked and neutralized by Taliban security units in a follow-up operation. The strike occurred early Saturday morning, though Taliban officials have yet to release a formal statement confirming the details or his death.
The elimination of Musa represents a notable gain in the Taliban’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign against IS-KP, which continues to pose one of the most resilient threats to the Taliban’s control and stability across Afghanistan.
Nangarhar has remained a focal point in the struggle between the Taliban and IS-KP, with both sides suffering losses in a protracted contest for dominance in the region.
