Sakhr al-Taifi leidde de buitenlandse opstandelingen die in Afghanistan actief zijn, Bij de luchtaanval van de NAVO kwam ook een medestander van al-Taifi om het leven.
Hij coördineerde ook aanslagen op NAVO-troepen en Afghaanse veiligheidsdiensten, zo meldt TOLO News.
Al-Taifi was afkomstig uit Saudi-Arabië en reisde veel heen en weer tussen Afghanistan en Pakistan.
De ISAF-veiligheidsmacht van de NAVO zegt in een verklaring: “Afghan and coalition forces confirmed that a security operation conducted Sunday resulted in the deaths of Sakhr al-Taifi, a Saudi al-Qaida leader, and one additional al-Qaida terrorist in Watahpur district of Kunar province.”
De NAVO zegt dat hij regelmatig op en neer reisde tussen Pakistan en Afghanistan.
In Pakistan kreeg hij opdrachten van hogere al-Qaida-leiders. Hij regelde vanuit het Afghaanse buurland ook wapens en uitrusting voor aanslagen.
Amerikaanse media, zoals The Wall Street Journal, melden dat de Coalitie de naam van de nummer 1 van Al-Qaida in Afghanistan niet prijs wil geven "vanwege operaties die aan de gang zijn en veiligheidsoverwegingen".
"The coalition declined to reveal the name of al-Qaida's top leader in Afghanistan "due to ongoing operations and security concerns.""
De verklaring van de International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
Senior al-Qaida leader killed in Kunar province Sunday
KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces confirmed that a security operation conducted Sunday resulted in the deaths of Sakhr al-Taifi, a Saudi al-Qaida leader, and one additional al-Qaida terrorist in Watahpur district, Kunar province.
Sakhr al-Taifi, also known as Musthaq and Nasim, was al-Qaida’s second highest leader in Afghanistan, responsible for commanding foreign insurgents, in addition to directing attacks against coalition and Afghan forces.
He frequently traveled between Afghanistan and Pakistan, carrying out commands from senior al-Qaida leadership. He also supplied weapons and equipment to eastern insurgents and managed the illegal transport of insurgent fighters into Afghanistan.
After positively identifying Sakhr al-Taifi and one additional al-Qaida terrorist, and ensuring no civilians were in the area, the security force engaged the targets with a precision airstrike. A follow-on assessment of the area determined no civilian property was damaged and no civilians were harmed.
