KUNAR: A central leader of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Mufti Khalid was killed in an armed attack in the Kunar province of Afghanistan.
According to media reports, a TTP council member, Mufti Khalid was killed by unidentified armed men while he was traveling. He belonged to Buner and was a close associate of notorious TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah, the sources said.
He is believed to be the mastermind behind the suicide bombing of an election rally in 2008, sources said. He was also wanted for facilitating and planning the attacks on Army Public School in Peshawar and the Bacha Khan University.
Earlier, Security forces had killed a terrorist linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the banned outfit, during an operation conducted in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an “Area Sanitisation Operation” was conducted in Ladha, South Waziristan, on reports of terrorists’ presence.
“During intense exchange of fire, terrorist Pir alias Asad, was killed,” the military’s media wing said. Terrorist Asad was an active member of TTP’s Baitullah Mehsud group from 2006. “The TTP terrorist remained actively involved in target killings, terrorist activities against security forces, extortion and planting IEDs,” ISPR added.
On March 6, security forces conducted two intelligence-based operations (IBOs), killing at least eight terrorists including three commanders of TTP in North Waziristan.
“These terrorists remained involved in terrorist activities against security forces, law enforcement agencies and locals of the area since 2009 including IED attacks, firing, target killing, kidnapping for ransom and extortion,” the military’s media wing said.
