KABUL- Afghan officials confirmed on Wednesday, the death of Mullah OmerRehman of the Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in another blow to theproscribed group.

The TTP head was killed in a drone strike in the Kunar province inAfghanistan on Tuesday where he was staying with another fellow, AhmadSwati. Mullah Omer Rehman, often referred to as Fateh, was a bomb-makingexpert and one of the senior commanders responsible for terrorizing Swatand narrowly escaping thousands of troops.

The attack was confirmed by Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman MohammadRadmanish who told Voice of America (VOA) that the attack occurred next tothe border with Pakistan, falling short of identifying the slain militant.

On the other hand, spokesperson of the banned group, Muhammad Khorasani hasnot yet commented on the death of Rehman who was a trusted ally of therecently slain Maulvi Fazalullah and had also been in the running for hisreplacement as chief. Eventually, Mufti Noor Wali was chosen for the postinstead.

A US military spokesman also spoke to VOA to confirm the attack, reassuringthe United States commitment to the fight against terrorism against allterrorist outfits, be it Al- Qaeda or TTP.

The killing comes as a serious blow to the strength of the TTP which usesAfghanistan as a sanctuary to plan their cross-border acts of aggression.This recent development does, however, places pressure on Pakistan to urgeAfghan Taliban on its soil to participate in negotiations with thegovernment of Afghanistan to end the long-standing war.