Taliban commander killed in US airstrike

A senior Taliban military commander has been killed in a US airstrike in Afghanistan, officials said yesterday.

Abdul Manan, the Taliban’s “shadow governor” in Helmand province, died of wounds suffered during a strike late on Saturday.

Manan’s death was also confirmed by the Taliban, which said it was a “big loss” but will not affect its military operations. Manan had led the group’s expansion as it expanded control over the opium-rich province in recent years.