ISLAMABAD/KABUL: A vehicle carrying senior commanders of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including Omar Khalid Khorasani, has been targeted with a mysterious explosive device in eastern Afghanistan.
According to sources, “A vehicle reportedly carrying TTP Mohmand chief Omar Khalid Khorasani, aka Abdul Wali Mohmand, Mufti Hassan and Hafiz Dawlat Khan, was targeted in Sharki village, near Margha, in Bermal district of Paktika province.”
The TTP spokesperson has also confirmed the death.
Khorasani, who belonged to the Mohmand tribal district, was considered a member of the TTP top hierarchy.
Hafiz Dawlat, from the Orakzai tribal district, was considered to be an important member of the group and a close trustee of Khorasani.
Mufti Hassan hailed from the Malakand Division and was one of the TTP leaders who pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the deceased leader of the Islamic State. Sources claim that Hassan had allegedly kindled conflict within the TTP some years ago.
Khorasani carried a bounty of Rs10 million on his head. Dawlat and Hassan had joined the Khorasan franchise of Islamic State when it was set up, but they were later wooed back into the TTP’s folds.
Earlier in the day, TTP intelligence chief Abdul Rashid, alias Uqabi Bajauri, was also killed in a landmine blast in Kunar province of Afghanistan.
According to security analyst Faran Jeffery, “Things are very interesting in the AfPak region this day. My prediction is that this trend will continue for some time. We might hear about some more events related to militancy and terrorism in the upcoming days.”
FJ believes that TTP’s top commander Omar Khalid Khorasani’s death has a greater significance as a post to the killing of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
“Omar’s death will directly impact the operations capabilities of TTP,” he added.
