{"id":56848,"date":"2018-04-09T14:51:47","date_gmt":"2018-04-09T14:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/09\/us-airstrike-kills-top-islamic-state-commander-in-afghanistan\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:07:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:07:24","slug":"us-airstrike-kills-top-islamic-state-commander-in-afghanistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/04\/09\/us-airstrike-kills-top-islamic-state-commander-in-afghanistan\/","title":{"rendered":"US airstrike kills top Islamic State commander in Afghanistan"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-smg-jwplayer-video\"><atype-video-jwplayer nostick=\"true\" playlisturl=\"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/v2\/playlists\/fCzRqMW8?tags=2a905417-211f-45c8-a563-9ef35df04658\" poster=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/video-poster-2a905417-211f-45c8-a563-9ef35df04658.jpg\" aspectratio=\"16 \/ 9\" mute autostart=\"false\"><\/atype-video-jwplayer><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Department of Defense released video of what it says was an airstrike that killed a senior ISIS commander.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/28\/airstrike-in-libya-kills-high-ranking-al-qaeda-commander\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. airstrike killed<\/a> the senior <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/27\/us-coalition-want-to-shrink-role-in-iraq-but-isis-fighters-linger-in-the-desert\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\">Islamic State<\/a> commander in Afghanistan Thursday, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan announced Monday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The airstrike killed Qari Hikmatullah and his bodyguard in Bal Chiragh district, Faryab province, Afghanistan, according to a press statement. Faryab is located in the north of the country, bordering Turkmenistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[Afghan Special Security Forces] and U.S. counter-terrorism forces killed Hikmatullah and they will kill any successors,\u201d said Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. \u201cIS-K will be eliminated.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time of his death, Hikmatullah was the senior commander and main facilitator of fighters into Jowzjan, another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/08\/pentagon-thinks-china-could-be-a-partner-in-afghanistan\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">northern Afghan province<\/a>, for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/29\/is-isis-gaining-serious-ground-in-afghanistan-russia-says-yes-the-us-says-no\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\">IS-Khorasan<\/a> \u2014 the Islamic State\u2019s offshoot in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIS-K in Jowzjan province is the main conduit for external support and foreign fighters from Central Asian states into Afghanistan,\u201d according to the press release. \u201cHikmatullah was the key leader for those operations.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/11\/how-much-longer-will-us-and-partner-forces-own-the-night-in-combat\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"165\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/978909.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">How much longer will US and partner forces \u2018own the night\u2019 in combat?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Filmed through the tinted green of night vision goggles, a February video by the Taliban depicts their assault on an Afghan Local Police outpost in Khandahar province.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hikmatullah was a native Uzbek with a history of jumping extremist factions, \u201cfirst as an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader, followed by allegiance to the Taliban, and ultimately IS-K,\u201d the statement reads.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. officials said IS reportedly named Mawlavi Habibul Rahman, another native Uzbek, as Hikmatullah\u2019s successor. However, Rahman\u2019s rise may cause friction among IS fighters in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4186\" height=\"2783\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4175593.jpg_ace076.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4175593.jpg_ace076.jpg 4186w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4175593.jpg_ace076.jpg?resize=300,199 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4175593.jpg_ace076.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4175593.jpg_ace076.jpg?resize=1024,681 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4175593.jpg_ace076.jpg?resize=1536,1021 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4175593.jpg_ace076.jpg?resize=2048,1362 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4186px) 100vw, 4186px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Afghan Special Operations soldiers prepare for a night operation in Balkh province, Afghanistan, Feb. 22, 2018. Afghan Special Security Forces maintained constant pressure on the Taliban throughout the winter in the northern Afghan provinces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sean Carnes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRahman has had intermittent ties to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/16\/dod-ig-too-soon-to-tell-if-trumps-south-asia-strategy-will-break-the-taliban\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Taliban<\/a>, highlighting the difficulty IS-K is having replacing leaders,\u201d the statement reads.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. forces in the country have highlighted their successes against IS fighters in recent weeks, noting that Afghan special security forces and U.S. special operations forces have gradually depleted the viable leadership options in Jowzjan.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/05\/doubts-rise-over-effectiveness-of-bombing-afghan-drug-labs\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/poppy_field_afghanistan.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Doubts rise over effectiveness of bombing Afghan drug labs<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A government watchdog agency is questioning the Defense Department\u2019s drug lab bombing campaign against the Taliban financial network this winter.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another major dent in the terror group\u2019s network occurred on Mar. 16, when two other lead facilitators of foreign fighters, Omair and Abu Samaya, were killed as the duo met in Sar-e Pul province. Later that night, an Afghan security forces raid on the IS-K headquarters in Jowzjan killed another 13 terrorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Omair and Abu Samaya\u2019s predecessor, Khitab Aka, had previously been killed in Jowzjan on Jan. 28, just a few months prior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the Russian government has raised concerns that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/29\/is-isis-gaining-serious-ground-in-afghanistan-russia-says-yes-the-us-says-no\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">IS\u2019 presence in Afghanistan is growing<\/a>, U.S. officials have maintained that the group has been severely checked by joint operations and is declining in numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[U.S. Forces-Afghanistan] has no evidence of any significant migration of IS-K foreign fighters. We see local fighters who switch allegiances to join ISIS for various reasons, but the Russian narrative grossly exaggerates the numbers of ISIS fighters that are in the country,\u201d Navy Capt. Tom Gresback, a spokesman for U.S. forces, previously told Military Times.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A U.S. airstrike killed the senior Islamic State commander in Afghanistan Thursday, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan announced Monday morning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":94663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,12,26,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3357],"class_list":["post-56848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"OFOU43IIFZCE7B2PJYDUYGZOB4","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2018\/04\/09\/us-airstrike-kills-top-islamic-state-commander-in-afghanistan\/","remove_feature_photo":true,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>US airstrike kills top Islamic State commander in Afghanistan - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A U.S. airstrike killed the senior Islamic State commander in Afghanistan Thursday, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan announced Monday morning.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US airstrike kills top Islamic State commander in Afghanistan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A U.S. airstrike killed the senior Islamic State commander in Afghanistan Thursday, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan announced Monday morning.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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