Afghanistan's Interior Ministry says an air strike in the country's north has killed eight Taliban members, including a local militant chief.
In a statement on May 22, the ministry said an air strike late on May 21 killed Dost Mohammad, the Taliban’s shadow district chief of Qala-i-Zal in the northern province of Kunduz.
Four other Taliban fighters were wounded in the air strike, the statement said.
There was no comment from the Taliban, which captured the district of Qala-i-Zal two weeks ago, only for Afghan security forces to regain control following a counteroffensive.
On May 6, Taliban militants seized Qala-i-Zal district, west of the provincial capital, Kunduz, as they stepped up pressure on the city at the start of their annual spring offensive.
Kunduz is in government hands, while the Taliban controls most of the surrounding districts.
Over the past 18 months, Taliban fighters have twice succeeded in seizing the city center for brief periods.
