Payenda Mohammed, identified by the U.S. military as “a senior Taliban commander,” was killed in fighting with U.S. troops last week.
Taliban commander killed in Afghan clash (Reuters)
U.S. forces have killed a senior Taliban commander responsible for a spate of attacks in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Monday. The man, identified as Payenda Mohammed, was in command of more than 150 Taliban fighters in Uruzgan province. He was killed along with three of his men in a battle last week, a U.S. military spokesman said. “He was known for conducting rocket attacks, ambushes, guerrilla-style attacks and setting up illegal checkpoints,” Colonel Jim Yonts told a briefing.
Taliban insurgents are battling the government army and about 20,000 U.S. troops across a rugged swathe of south and east Afghanistan.
In conventional warfare, someone commanding 150 troops would hardly be considered “senior.” In a guerrila-terrorist campaign, though, that’s a large unit.
