Two senior Taliban leaders have been killed in an anti-militant operation carried out by a coalition of Afghan troops and international coalition forces in the north of the war-torn Asian nation, it was announced late Friday.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) identified the two slain Taliban leaders as Qari Halim and Sajad Jan. It said they were killed during an operation in Archi district of Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on Thursday.
According to the ISAF statement, Halim, also known as Zubair, was the one of the top ranking Taliban officials in Archi district responsible for command and control, finance and logistical efforts for extremists in the region.
The international coalition force said Halim oversaw a group of approximately 50 fighters that have engaged in ambushes and improvised explosive device operations against ISAF and Afghan forces.
It added that Jan, also known as Qari Ismael and Jawid, was Halim's top military adviser. He directed and executed attacks under Halim's orders targeting Afghan government officials, in addition to Afghan and coalition forces.
Notably, Afghan security forces have been taking the lead in fighting insurgents in recent months, as the nations involved in the NATO-led ISAF mission intend to withdraw their troops from the country by the end of 2014.
ISAF is currently making efforts to get the Afghan security forces ready and capable of handling the country's security prior to the planned withdrawal. However, there are wide concerns about the ability of Afghan national forces to counter the resurgent Taliban without the same level of foreign military assistance and presence.
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