Three Pakistani Taliban leaders have reportedly been killed by a joint Afghan and NATO air strike in the Laman area of Afghanistan’s Paktika Province, Pakistani security sources say.
Sources told RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal on September 25 that Raees Khan, also known as Azam Tariq, a spokesman for the Khan Said group of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was killed in the air strike late on September 24.
A senior official with Khan Said confirmed for Radio Mashaal that Tariq had been killed.
Sources said Tariq’s son and two other Taliban leaders from North Waziristan were also killed in the attack, but did not give their names.
The Afghan Defense Ministry confirmed the air strike had been carried out and said three Al-Qaeda commanders and six other members had been killed.
Mohammad Radmanish, deputy ministry spokesman, told RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan that Tariq was likely among the dead.
The Khan Said faction in 2014 severed ties with Mullah Fazluallah, the current TTP leader, saying it would operate independently from North Waziristan.
Source: rferl.org
RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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