PESHAWAR: The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has said that one of its senior commanders Mohammad Hasan was killed in a recent clash with Pakistani security forces in North Waziristan.

In a statement issued by TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid on Saturday, the outlawed group said Hasan, who hailed from Kabul, was killed in clashes in North Waziristan's Boya area.

The statement added that Hasan had recently been released from an Afghan prison and had "reunited with his comrades" in Pakistan.

The TTP also claimed that the clash in Boya began when local Taliban, Mehsud fighters and the TTP launched a collective attack on Pakistan Army personnel, adding that it caused significant losses to the military.

Also read: Taliban capacity for terror attacks neutralised: ISPR

The TTP claimed that its command and control structure was in tact and rejected government claims regarding the killing of local and foreign fighters during the ongoing military operation.

The statement further claimed that those arrested as TTP fighters who attacked Malala Yousufzai were not members of the outlawed group.

North Waziristan, where Boya is located, is the scene of military operation Zarb-i-Azb launched by the army and aims at wiping out longstanding militant strongholds in the area which borders Afghanistan.

Launched on June 15, Zarb-i-Azb followed a brazen militant attack on Karachi's international airport and the failure of peace talks between government and TTP negotiators. More than a million people have fled North Waziristan since the offensive began.

A recent statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had put the official number of “terrorists” killed in Operation Zarb-i-Azb at 910 and added that 82 Pakistani soldiers also lost their lives during the offensive.

More on this: Operation to be extended to remote areas: army chief

Key militant commander arrested from Peshawar’s Adezai

Police has arrested key militant commander Gul Manan who is allegedly involved in a number of terrorists activities from Peshawar’s Adezai area.

Superintendent of Police Shakir Bangash told Dawn that Manan is being questioned and interrogated so that more information is extracted from him.

Bangash said Manan was wanted by law enforcement agencies in a number of terrorist incidents including the 2008 attack on Dr Salman who was CCPO Peshawar at the time, as well as attacks on Mattani police station and other law enforcement agencies.

Manan was also involved in some other heinous crimes, the SP said, adding that “three Klashnikov, rifles and hand grenades” were recovered from his possession.