NATO forces kill a key commander of the Haqqani terrorist network in Eastern Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said Monday. Authorities said additional Haqqani fighters were arrested Monday.

Sher Mohammad Hakimi, who served directly under Haqqani leader Muhammad Agha and who helped organize roadside bombings, was killed Sunday in Logar province

The Haqqani network, led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, is allied with al Qaeda and is active in the tribal areas of Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan. The group is believed to be responsible for thousands of U.S. casualties.

"Insurgents continue to escalate the fighting as we get closer to the drawdown date," a U.S. military official told The Washington Examiner. "Attacks in throughout the east and Kabul show direct involvement of the Haqqani terror network. Capturing any of their leaders is a win for us and possibly provides information we need to stop future planned attacks on NATO forces."

Sara A. Carter is The Washington Examiner's national security correspondent. She can be reached at scarter@washingtonexaminer.com.