ISLAMABAD: Commander Anees, a senior operative of the Haqqani Network’sMalang Torikhel faction and a native of Khushali village, was shot dead onThursday in a targeted attack in Mir Ali Bazaar, North Waziristan. Thekilling was executed by gunmen belonging to the Ashiq Khushali group, anarmed outfit reportedly linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’sJaish-e-Mutqi Karwan.
Local sources confirmed that Anees, who once fought alongside TTP, hadswitched allegiance to the Haqqani Network in recent years, a move thatapparently made him a high-value target for his former comrades. Theassailants opened fire in broad daylight and escaped before security forcescould respond.
Eyewitnesses said the commander was buying goods in the crowded bazaar whenfour motorcyclists approached and fired multiple rounds at close range. Hedied on the spot. No civilian casualties were reported, indicating aprecisely planned operation aimed solely at the target.
The assassination highlights deepening rifts and power struggles amongmilitant factions operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.Defections and counter-defections have triggered a wave of revenge killingsin North Waziristan over the past year, further complicating peace effortsin the tribal region.
Security officials have cordoned off the area and launched a searchoperation to trace the attackers. Intelligence agencies believe the murderwas sanctioned at a senior level within TTP-affiliated groups as punishmentfor Anees’s defection and his alleged role in anti-TTP operations alongsidethe Haqqani Network.
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The incident comes amid heightened tensions between TTP and Haqqani Networkfactions despite their shared presence under the broader Afghan Talibanumbrella. Analysts warn that such internal bloodletting could weakencoordinated militant activity but simultaneously risks spilling over intocivilian areas.
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