Skip to main content
CNN

Officials: Senior Pakistani Taliban leader killed in strike in Afghanistan

By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 6:14 AM EDT, Sat August 25, 2012
A soldier of the 4th brigade combat team 4th infantry division of the U.S. Army disposes of waste left by mortar rounds at the Forward Operating Base Joyce, in the Kunar province of Afghanistan on August 20, 2012.
A soldier of the 4th brigade combat team 4th infantry division of the U.S. Army disposes of waste left by mortar rounds at the Forward Operating Base Joyce, in the Kunar province of Afghanistan on August 20, 2012.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: Pakistani Taliban official confirms airstrike
  • A senior Pakistani Taliban leader was killed in a NATO airstrike in Afghanistan, officials say
  • Maulawi Dadullah was killed in a strike in the Kunar province, officials say
  • The airstrike also killed Dadullah's deputy, ISAF officials say

(CNN) -- A senior Pakistani Taliban leader was killed in a NATO airstrike in Afghanistan's volatile northern Kunar province, the NATO-led coalition said Saturday.

Maulawi Dadullah was one of several insurgents killed Friday in an airstrike in Kunar's Shigal wa Sheltan district, according to a statement released by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

Dadullah, also known as Jamal, was responsible for moving fighters and weapons through the area, ISAF said. Dadullah also coordinated attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, fighters and weapons, according to ISAF.

Dadullah's deputy, identified only as Shakir, was also killed in the airstrike, the coalition said.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said by telephone from an undisclosed location that Dadullah was one of a dozen fighters killed in the airstrike.

No civilians were injured and no property was damaged in the airstrike, ISAF said.

The coalition did not say how it identified Dadullah nor did it release details about how the airstrike occurred.

CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report.

ADVERTISEMENT
Part of complete coverage on
Afghanistan
updated 9:35 PM EDT, Mon April 1, 2013
CNN's Anna Coren reports on how U.S. Special Forces are not just fighting terrorists in Afghanistan.
updated 5:24 AM EDT, Fri May 24, 2013
With U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, CNN's Anna Coren reports on a Taliban firefight lasting more than 90 minutes.
updated 10:54 AM EDT, Mon April 1, 2013
Mallika Kapur has the story of a young Afghan graffiti artist who, despite Taliban threats, pushes for free expression.
updated
For the first time, a Pakistan government served its full term and the lack of a military coup attempt shows government is more stable than many think.
updated 11:22 AM EST, Sat February 16, 2013
President Obama has revealed new details about the troop withdrawal. But there are several key issues that still must be resolved.
updated 7:35 AM EST, Mon February 11, 2013
Author William Dalrymple's new book "Return of a King" looks at the history of foreign-led wars in Afghanistan.
CNN.com's 'Home and Away' initiative honors the lives of U.S. and coalition troops who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
updated 10:28 AM EST, Tue February 12, 2013
Former Army Staff Sgt. Clint Romesha receives the Medal of Honor for his role in one of the worst ground attacks of the Afghanistan war.
updated 4:18 PM EST, Tue February 12, 2013
osamabinladen
On Monday Esquire magazine published a massive profile of the Navy SEAL who says he shot Osama bin Laden.
The mother of a little Afghan girl cannot face her daughter. She looks down in shame as she explains why she must hand her over to drug lords.
updated 5:21 PM EST, Sun January 27, 2013
Aman Mojadidi, an American of Afghan descent, is an artist who has worked in Kabul and chosen particularly provocative themes.
updated 11:14 AM EST, Thu January 10, 2013
Afghan President Hamid Karzai met with President Barack Obama to discuss the post-2014 American presence in Afghanistan.
U.S. underestimates importance of Islam in making Afghanistan a better place, say authors.
updated 9:28 PM EST, Thu November 29, 2012
The number of people forced to flee their homes is increasing and the conditions for the displaced are far below international standards.
updated 3:24 PM EDT, Fri June 8, 2012
Unexploded munitions from war games in Afghanistan make a dangerous play ground for local children.
Her story of torture by the Taliban made her the iconic face of the oppression of women in Afghanistan.
ADVERTISEMENT