Carter: US airstrike kills senior Al-Qaeda commander
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter says a US airstrike has killed a senior Al-Qaeda operational commander in eastern Afghanistan.
He said in a statement Friday that the airstrike killed Abu Khalil Al-Sudani on July 11. Carter called Al-Sudani a senior shura member and head of Al-Qaeda suicide and explosive operations, and said he is directly linked to plots to attack the United States. He said Al-Sudani also directed operations against coalition, Afghan and Pakistani forces, and maintained a close association with Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda.
