Taliban's chief military strategist killed in Kabul hospital attack

Badri Brigade's commander also killed in the attack

KABUL:

The chief military strategist for the Taliban, Qari Hamdullah Mohlis, was killed in yesterday's attack on a Kabul military hospital carried out by the militant Islamic State.

Mohlis was also the military chief of Kabul and was previously the commander of Khost and Paktika provinces.

The commander of the Badri Brigade, touted as the special forces of the Taliban, was also killed in the attack.

On Tuesday, at least 15 people were killed and 34 wounded when two explosions followed by gunfire hit Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan hospital in central Kabul.

According to local commanders, Mohlis rushed to the site after he was informed of the attack and commanded the Taliban response to repulse the attack. He received multiple bullet injuries to his upper body which proved to be fatal.

Mohlis was also the commander who took control of the presidential palace on August 15 after Ashraf Ghani fled.

Following the attack, two IS members were arrested in search operations. After an initial investigation, the Taliban claimed the arrested militants were foreigners and spokes Arabic and English.

Read Taliban say 65 Islamic State terrorists surrender in Afghanistan

Last month, a bomb attack on worshippers at a Shia mosque in the Afghan city of Kunduz killed at least 55 people, in the bloodiest assault since US forces left the country.

Scores more victims from the minority community were wounded in the blast, which has not been claimed but appears designed to further destabilise Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover.

Dozens were killed and injured in the attack. The militant Islamic State group has carried out multiple attacks against the new government of the Taliban in Afghanistan.