PESHAWAR: A former operative of the Mullah Nazir group — a militant outfit — was killed and another person injured by unidentified gunmen in the Doag area of Wana tehsil in South Waziristan, police and rescue officials said on Sunday.
According to Wana circle DSP Asghar Ali Shah, Muhammad Khalid — a former aide to Mullah Nazir’s group — and another person were travelling in their vehicle from Rustam Bazaar Wana to their home in Doag on Saturday evening when unidentified armed men opened fire on them near a cemetery. Both men sustained gunshot wounds in the attack.
Rescue officials said Khalid was critically injured, succumbing to his injuries while being taken to Dera Ismail Khan for medical treatment.
The second injured man was taken to the DHQ hospital in Wana, where he is receiving treatment, according to the hospital’s medical superintendent.
The DSP said Khalid had previously been associated with the Mullah Nazir group. However,police have not yet disclosed the motive for the shooting or identified the gunmen.
According to the police, an initial report has been registered and an investigation into the incident has been launched.
They added that investigators were examining different aspects of the attack and efforts were under way to identify and arrest those involved.
Regarded as an influential Taliban commander in Lower South Waziristan, Nazir belonged to the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe and wielded considerable influence in Wana and the surrounding areas.
According to various reports, he reached a peace agreement with the government in 2007. His group also carried out operations against Uzbek and other foreign terrorists in areas inhabited by his tribe in Lower South Waziristan.
Relations between Mullah Nazir’s group and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remained strained. He was also reported to have opposed attacks against the government and security forces in areas under his influence.
In November 2012, the commander was targeted in a suicide attack in Rustam Bazaar in Wana and sustained injuries.
On January 3, 2013, he was killed along with several of his associates in a US drone strike near Sarakanda in Birmal tehsil Lower South Waziristan. Following his death, reports said Bahawal Khan was appointed as the new commander of his group.
Mullah Nazir’s group, and individuals associated with its former network, continued to be mentioned in connection with developments in South Waziristan at various times. However, police have yet to establish whether Khalid’s previous association with the group was linked to Saturday’s attack.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear and is being investigated, police said.
Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2026
