Operatives of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) have killed a prominent member of al-Qaida and a Taliban commander in Gayan district of the eastern Paktika province, said a statement issued by the NDS on Tuesday, March 30.
The NDS said that its operatives traced the targets to Paktia where they escaped after being identified in the southern Ghazni province.
Dawlat Beig Tajiki, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Tajiki, who was a prominent member of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, was killed in the operation conducted by NDS forces, according to the statement. Hazrat Ali, also known as Hamza Muhajir, who is a Pakistani national and member of the Taliban, was also killed in this operation.
“These men were liaisons between Al-Qaida network and the Taliban who were responsible for equipping and fundraising for the Taliban terrorist group. In their latest mission, they were giving military advice to the group for the spring campaign of the Taliban,” the statement said.
As per the NDS statement, they were also providing military training for the Taliban terrorist group in Ghazni, Logar, and Zabul provinces.
In the US-Taliban peace deal signed on February 29, 2020, the militant group has committed to cut its ties with all terrorist groups, particularly with Al-Qaida, but the realities on the ground and findings suggest the Taliban and Al-Qaida still have close relations and cooperation in Afghanistan.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reported in May 2020, that the Taliban have still kept close ties with Al-Qaida despite the group made promises in the peace deal to break ties with the terrorist group.
Al Qaeda continues to operate in 12 provinces of Afghanistan, with 400-600 operatives and a training camp in the eastern part of the country, according to the report.
