Prominent Taliban leader killed in Afghan forces operation in Badakhshan province

A prominent Taliban leader was killed during an operation by the Afghan security forces in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, The Khaama Press News Agency reported on Thursday, citing the country's Defense Ministry.

According to the news agency, the militant, identified as Ataulah, who was mainly responsible for terrorist attacks in the Badakhshan province, was killed as a result of an ambush led by the security forces late on Wednesday.

The Taliban movement has yet to comment on the incident, the agency added.

Afghanistan has been long suffering from an unstable political, social and security situation due to the activity of the Taliban movement and the Islamic State terror group. The national security forces, supported by the international coalition, conduct regular counterterrorism operations across the country.