US and Afghan officials have confirmed that the head of Islamic State in Afghanistan, Abdul Hasib, was killed in an operation on April 27, conducted jointly by Afghan and USSpecial Forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar.  

The attack saw 35 ISIS fighters and several high ranking commanders killed as well as two US army rangers.

Hasib was appointed head of ISIS in Afghanistan last year after his predecessor died in a US drone strike.

He is believed to have directed a number of strikes, including one on Kabul's main military hospital in March that killed dozens of people.

Hasib is also said to have ordered fighters to behead local elders in front of their families, as well as kidnap women and girls to force them to marry ISIS militants.

Defeating the group is one of America's highest priorities in Afghanistan.

The top US commander saying Hasib's death marks an important step in what he calls America's "relentless campaign" against the group.

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