US has realised that without addressing Pakistan's concerns in Afghanistan, it's support is not possible
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ISLAMABAD - The chief of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban, has been killed in US drone strike, a spokesman for the group confirmed to AFP on Thursday.
“Chief of our Jamaat-ul-Ahrar Umar Khalid Khorasani, who sustained serious injuries in a recent US drone strike in Afghanistan's Paktia province, succumbed to his injuries Wednesday evening,” JuA spokesman Asad Mansoor told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.
“At least nine close associates of Khorasani were also killed in the strike,” he added.
Mansoor said a high-level meeting of JuA's consultative council will be convened soon to appoint the outfit's new chief.However, an important Taliban commander said on condition of anonymity that one of JuA's senior commanders, Asad Afridi, has already been appointed new JuA chief.
The recent unprecedented increase drone strikes in the Pak-Afghan border region appears to be reflective of a change in policy in Washington, with at least 70 strikes ─ both drone and ground ─ conducted in Afghanistan in the past three weeks, and over 30 people have been killed on Pak Afghan border.
The strikes came days after Canadian hostage Joshua Boyle and his American wife and three children were freed in Pakistan after five years of captivity at the hands of the Haqqani network.
Analysts said Khorasani's death suggested resumption of intelligence sharing and coordination between Pakistan and the US.
“The resumption of drone strikes on anti-Pakistan elements following hard stance on Trump's Afghan policy signals moderation of positions by Islamabad and Washington,” leading Pakistan security analyst Imtiaz Gul told AFP.
He said “it shows America's willingness to redress Pakistan's complaints about presence of militant safe havens on Afghan soil”.
“Both countries now seem to be back to their business. “
