KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistani media reports that a top commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Abdul Manan, also known as Hakeemullah, has mysteriously been killed in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province.
According to the report, the TTP commander was killed by unidentified individuals in Asadabad, the capital city of Kunar province, on Wednesday, June 19th.
“Hakeemullah was formerly associated with the TTP Malakand Shura and served as an aide to Wali, overseeing terrorist activities in Bajaur and carrying out various acts of violence including target killings, landmine explosions, checkpoint attacks, and extortion,” the report said.
The report additionally mentions his clerical role at a TTP-affiliated Madrassa (Islamic school) in the Sirkanay district of Kunar province, where he trained several TTP commanders.
Citing its source, the Pakistani news outlet disclosed that on April 27, another TTP commander, identified as Talha Swati, was killed in Kunar province.
“There were conflicting reports surrounding the commander’s death. Some reports suggested he was killed by ISKP, while others stated he was killed by a rival faction due to some internal rifts,” the report added.
The relationship between Pakistan and the ruling regime in Afghanistan has become strained in recent years, primarily due to the issue of the TTP. This militant group, which shares a similar ideology with the Afghan Taliban, has intensified its fight against the Pakistani government following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
The TTP perceived the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan as a “victory,” considering it as both an ideological and moral inspiration. It aims to follow its ideological twin in battling against Pakistani security forces and, ultimately, overthrowing the Pakistani government to establish a similar Islamic Emirate in Pakistan.
Pakistan claims that members of the militant groups are hiding in Afghanistan, receiving training and advanced military weapons to launch cross border attacks and destabilize the region.
Last year, Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, claimed that an estimated 6,000 TTP fighters and their families are enjoying sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Taliban, however, has repeatedly denied Pakistan’s allegations, saying that the country should find its own solution to tackling terror threats, as they are not responsible for the security failures of its neighbors.
