KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan officials say an unknown gunman shot and killed a senior special forces commander with Afghanistan's police as he picnicked with his family in the capital.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najb Danish said Friday the commander, Azizullah Karwan, had led dozens of anti-Taliban operations. He was killed Thursday night in Kabul and had reportedly survived several previous assassination attempts.

Karwan was stationed in Afghanistan's restive eastern province of Paktika, where he worked closely with U.S. special forces, said Mohammad Nader Katawazi, a Parliamentarian from Paktika province. He said Karwan's death is a blow to the battle against insurgents in eastern Afghanistan, noting he had cleared hundreds of Taliban from the area.

In a telephone interview, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed the militant group had carried out the attack.