Key TTP ‘commander’ killed in Afghanistan

SOUTH WAZIRIS­TAN: A key commander of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Rahimullah alias Shahid Umar, was killed in Shringal, Kunar province of Afghanistan, in a targetted attack by unidentified gunmen.

There was no official statement from the Afgh­anistan and Pakistan governments in this regard, but the killing of the TTP commander in Afghanistan was confirmed by the militant outfit.

Afghan security sources told Dawn that the slain commander was shot dead after he along with other militants was going back to his hideout following a lunch hosted by an official of the Afghan Taliban.

According to reports from Pakistani security officials, Shahid Umar had a bounty of Rs10 million on his head.

He was a senior commander and had remained in Bagram jail for eight years before being released by the Afghan Taliban.

He also served as the shadow governor of the TTP for Dera Ismail Khan and a member of the TTP’s military commission.

There were reports about the killing of other TTP commanders as well, but it could not be confirmed by the time this report went to press.

The killing comes as a big blow to the terror outfit and an embarrassment both to the TTP and their Kabul hosts who have consistently denied their presence in Afghanistan despite statements by Pakistan pointing towards the role of the TTP in cross-border terror attacks.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2024