The fugitive central commander of an illegal extremist group planning a terrorist attack in Pakistan has died in a roadside bombing in neighboring Afghanistan.
Abdul Wali, known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was traveling southeast of Paktika on the Afghan border late Sunday when an improvised explosive device hit his car, militants said. a Pakistani security source said on Monday.
Khorassani's group, the Taliban of Pakistan (TTP), known as the Taliban of Pakistan, also confirmed his death, saying their leader's "detailed statement regarding the martyrdom will be released soon." rice field.
At least three of Khorassani's comrades in the vehicle were also killed at Sunday's bombing in Bamar, a remote Afghan town bordering Pakistan.
No group immediately took responsibility for the deadly attack, and the Taliban government in Afghanistan has not commented on it. It was a founding member of the TTP, designated by the United Nations as a global terrorist organization.
TTP militants have launched deadly attacks against Pakistani forces. Since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul, violence has escalated, killing hundreds of Pakistani security personnel in recent months.
TTP leaders fled war-torn Afghanistan in 2015 after fleeing military operations in Pakistan and have since led cross-border attacks. It primarily targets the military.
The extremist group, known for providing recruits and shelter to Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, has engaged in cross-border insurgency against local and US-led foreign forces. .
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, almost a year ago. The then Afghan government and its security forces crumbled in the face of rebel attacks on a stunning battlefield as foreign forces withdrew from the country.
Since then, the Taliban ruler has brokered peace talks between Pakistan and his TTP and helped negotiate a peaceful end to the violence. Taliban officials say they are facilitating the peace process in line with their pledge not to allow any group to use Afghan soil to attack any country.
In early June, the TTP announced an indefinite ceasefire with the Government of Pakistan, citing "substantial" progress in negotiations. Corassani was also part of the group's negotiating team.
The extremist group restores Pakistan to its traditional semi-autonomous status in several border areas and withdraws its troops, where he imposes a hardline Islamic regime of his interpretation of the TTP. I am requesting permission to do so.
The district of Pakistan in question, known collectively as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), has been home to local and foreign extremists for decades.
The government had little control over the border until the military launched counter-terrorism operations there and dismantled what it called the terrorist infrastructure. Pakistan subsequently integrated FATA into the country's mainstream through constitutional amendments unanimously approved by the parliament.
Islamabad has rejected all previous TTP requests for FATA. Instead, Pakistani officials say they are calling for the extremist group to disband. This will allow members who are not wanted for serious crimes to surrender their weapons and live peacefully in Pakistan. , which could derail the dialogue process and escalate extremist violence in Pakistan.
