SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Unknown gunmen killed a militant commander in Azam Warsak area of South Waziristan tribal district on Thursday night, police and witnesses said.

The witnesses said that attackers driving a non-custom paid car opened fire on Mr Bakhan in front of a shop in Azam Warsak, some 15 kilometres from Wana, the district headquarters of South Waziristan. He died instantly.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Locals said that commander Bakhan had affiliation with the “good Taliban” that had supported the government in operations against local and foreign militants in South Waziristan.

Presently, they said, he had formed his own faction code-named 24 Group comprising youth of the area.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2022