One of the most senior al-Qaeda figures in Afghanistan was killed in a weekend air strike, Nato-led forces say.
Nato described Saudi-born Sakhar al-Taifi as the group's second most senior figure in Afghanistan.
He commanded foreign insurgents and directed attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, the statement said.
But Taliban sources in Kunar deny Al-Taifi was killed and claim he left the area three months ago.
Sakhar al-Taifi died in "a precision air strike" in the Watahpur district of Kunar province on Sunday night, according to the Nato statement. Another rank and file member of al-Qaeda was killed at the same time, it said.
Al-Taifi, who also went by the names of Mustaq and Nasim, arranged for weapons and insurgent fighters to be transported into Afghanistan, Nato says.
He reportedly had strong links to Taliban fighters in the area.
Nato estimates that there are fewer than 100 al-Qaeda operatives in the country. However, the border with Pakistan where the fighters operate, is porous, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul.
Troops on the ground often report hearing the voices of Arabic-speaking insurgents over radios - when they do, immediate attacks are launched against those sites, he says
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