KABUL – The Afghan Defense Ministry on Friday afternoon confirmed thatTehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed in adrone strike on Wednesday in Kunar Province.
Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish told TOLOnews that the strikehappened at about 2:30am local time.
“Fazlullah along with his men were killed at about 2:30am local time inMarawayra district along the Durand Line in Kunar province in a dronestrike,” Radmanish said.
Earlier Friday reliable sources told TOLOnews that Fazlullah had beenkilled in Kunar Province in Afghanistan.
This is not however the first time reports have emerged of the death ofFazlullah after the elusive chief of the banned group was named TTP chiefin late 2013. He succeeded Hakimullah Mehsud who was killed in a dronestrike in November of that year.
US Forces-Afghanistan spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Martin O’Donnellmeanwhile confirmed the US Forces conducted a counterterrorism strike onWednesday in Kunar province and that a senior leader of a terroristorganization had been targeted.
However, he did not reveal the identity of the target or the name of thegroup. He also stated that US-Forces were adhering to government’sceasefire with the Taliban but that the ceasefire does not includecounterterrorism efforts against Daesh, Al-Qaeda and other terroristorganizations.
“US forces conducted a counterterrorism strike, June 13, in Kunar province,close to the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which targeted asenior leader of a designated terrorist organization,” he told TOLOnews.
“US Forces-Afghanistan and NATO-led Resolute Support forces continue toadhere to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’sunilateral cease-fire with the Afghan Taliban, announced by H.E. AfghanPresident Ashraf Ghani, which began on the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan.
“As previously stated, the cease-fire does not include US counterterrorismefforts against IS-K (Daesh), Al-Qaeda, and other regional andinternational terrorist groups, or the inherent right of US andinternational forces to defend ourselves if attacked. We hope this pauseleads to dialogue and progress on reconciliation and a lasting end tohostilities,” he said.
In the meantime, military and political affairs analysts said Pakistan mayhave been involved in the death of Fazlullah, because of his suspectedinvolvement in organizing attacks inside Pakistan.