Al-Qaeda mastermind, Mohsen Al-Masri, was killed in an operation conducted by Afghan forces in Andar district in Ghazni province, said the National Directorate of Security (NDS). According to reports, Al-Masri was operating as the terrorist group key member for the Indian subcontinent.

Al-Masri, is believed to be al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, also goes by the name Husam Abd-al-Ra’uf. He has been charged in the United States with having provided material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organisation, and conspiracy to kill US nationals. The US issued a warrant for his arrest in December 2018.

The head of the US National Counter-Terrorism Center, Chris Miller, confirmed al-Masri’s death in a statement, saying his “removal .. from the battlefield is a major setback to a terrorist organization that is consistently experiencing strategic losses facilitated by the United States and its partners”. Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said fewer than 200 al-Qaeda operatives remain in Afghanistan.