Afghan Taliban Claim IS Khorasan Chief Killed In Kabul Operation

Afghan Taliban Claim IS Khorasan Chief Killed In Kabul Operation
The Afghan Taliban have claimed that the former military chief of Daesh Khorasan chapter has been killed in an operation in Kabul.

"Two Daesh members were killed in an overnight operation," according to an official statement. "Among the killed was a key member of Daesh Khorasan group, Qari Fateh, who previously served as the military leader for Khorasan, and currently as the intelligence and operations chief."

The communiqué shared on Twitter on Monday said that the terrorist killed had "directly masterminded recent operations in Kabul, including against diplomatic missions, mosques, and other targets."

It further said that another recent operation by the country's security forces "resulted in the deaths of three Daesh members, including their leader for the subcontinent, Ijaz Amin Ahingar."

The development comes nearly a week after a delegation led by Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif visited Kabul, in another attempt to seek a peaceful resolution to security problems. The defence minister was accompanied by DG ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum.

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Asif met interim deputy prime minister of Afghanistan, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Asif’s counterpart, Afghan interim defense minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, was also seen in the meetings.

The surprise visit comes as Pakistan faces intense pressure from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose fighters claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing in a mosque at the Peshawar police lines last month, as well as a recent attack on the Karachi Police Office (KPO) which lasted for at least four hours.

Over the past few months, the country’s security situation has worsened, with proscribed terrorist groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic State group, Hafiz Gul Bahadur (HGB) network, and Baloch separatist groups executing attacks with impunity across Pakistan.

The TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in late November 2022, and ordered its militants to carry out attacks across Pakistan.