NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN - A senior Afghan Taliban commander — who served as a shadow governor for more than a dozen districts in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province — has been killed by Afghan security forces, provincial officials told VOA.

Attaullah Khogyanai, provincial spokesperson for eastern Nangarhar province, told VOA that Gul Mohammad Sangari, was killed Thursday in Nangarhar's Surkhrod district during a night raid by the Afghan security forces.

Khogyanai said Sangari was in the Surkhrod district to plan terror attacks in the area. He was with two other militants and wanted to escape when Afghan forces engaged him.

The other two militants have been taken into custody and are under investigation.

Taliban have not yet reacted to the killing of Sangari.

Surkhrod is located close to Nangarhar's capital city, Jalalabad. The district is considered strategic because of its proximity to the capital city. The security situation of the district has deteriorated in recent months.

The capital city has witnessed a spike in terror attacks in recent weeks.

Last week, a series of explosions in and around a cricket stadium inside the city killed at least eight civilians and wounded more than 40 others.

The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack.