NATO airstrike kills Haqqani leader

[August 06, 2012]  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- NATO forces killed a local commander for the Haqqani insurgent group in an airstrike in eastern Afghanistan, the military alliance said Monday.

Sher Mohammad Hakimi was hit on Sunday in Logar province, the coalition said.

Hakimi was sitting under a tree with some associates when the NATO strike killed him, said Logar province police chief, Raeis Khan Rahimzai. He said four others were injured.

According to Rahimzai, Hakimi was known for organizing roadside bomb attacks and for training insurgents. NATO said Hakimi transported weapons through the region and served directly under Haqqani leader Muhammad Agha.

The Pakistan-based Haqqani network is allied with the Taliban and al-Qaeda and is believed to be responsible for a host of attacks in Kabul and surrounding provinces.

In central Afghanistan, meanwhile, a district police chief was killed by a roadside bomb in Ghor province, officials said. Char Sada district Police Chief Gul Ahmad was walking to his office when a bomb that had been strapped to a nearby donkey detonated, apparently remotely, said Ghor provincial governor Abdullah Haiwad.

Three others were wounded in the blast, Haiwad said.

[Associated Press; By AMIR SHAH and HEIDI VOGT]

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