The US Department of Defense said on Friday the leader of ISIL in Afghanistan Abu Sayed was killed by US forces in a raid earlier this week. 

The airstrike, which occurred on July 11 on the ISIL headquarters in Kunar Province, also killed other extremist members, said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White in a statement. 

The strike was believed to "significantly disrupt the terror group's plans to expand its presence in Afghanistan," according to the statement.

Sayed was the third ISIL leader in Afghanistan to be killed by Afghan and US forces in the past 12 months. His two predecessors were killed in late July 2016 and late April respectively this year. 

(Source: Xinhua)