PESHAWAR: A senior leader of the deadly Haqqani network was killed in a United States drone strike in Afghanistan's Paktika province, reports in the Afghan media said on Thursday.
The leader killed in the drone strike was Sirajuddin Khademi, a logistics commander of the Haqqani network and member of the Quetta Shura in the southeastern Paktika province, the reports said.
Assadullah Sherzad, a police commander in the southeast region told Afghan media that the drone strike targeted Khademi along with another person early in the morning.
However, the Afghan Taliban, to which the Haqqani network is linked, have not confirmed the commander's killing in the drone strike.
Earlier on May 21, chief of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike in Balochistan.
The insurgent group elected Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, a former head of the Taliban's judiciary and one of two Mansour's deputies, as their new leader.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the Haqqani network, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, were appointed Akhundzada's deputies.
American officials blame high-profile attacks in Afghanistan on the powerful Haqqani network, which mainly operates out of Pakistan's border areas.
Comments (15) Closed
Hope this intelligence input is enough for US to provide us membership to NSG and give us same privilige as they are giving to India and provide substantial concessions for F16s which was withdrawn earlier .
Another attack that violates sovereignty?
US will go ahead with or without
US should be admired for its fight against terrorism
Another Pakistani strategic asset done!!
so very nice to hear such news ... Thank you dawn for this report , if it is true..
Well done USA !!
Current government, clerics and mullahas are and will drag Pakistan down where no international country has respect or us. Pakistan need to have stable foreign policy. Our public impression that Arabs support Pakistan is a fallacy. First we need to stand on our own feet. We need to get rid of corrupt politicians and government supported terrorist groups - or pakistan will be next Afghnistan.
@Zak please ask china
@Hitesh: How is the US fighting terror? Do you believe it failed to eradicate terror in 15 years despite all its resources and might?
@Zak: Don't you know the US tactics? It was the loose-tongued George Bush who said "You cannot accelerate terror without intensifying the terror first"!
RIP
@M.Saeed: Correction, "You cannot accelerate war against terror without intensifying the terror first"!
@Ahsan Gul Afghanistan is much better. They can develop but it is not being allowed to develop. There is no comparison.
@Zak SO you mean to say we are now working against the Haqqani network