Two militants from pro-government warlord Mullah Nazir's group accused the 'spy' of giving Nazir a digital Quran, fitted with chips to track his movements. Nazir was killed in a US drone strike earlier this month.—AFP Photo

PESHAWAR: Militants on Wednesday dumped the mutilated body of a purported Afghan spy accused of collaborating on US drone strikes that killed prominent warlord Mullah Nazir in South Waziristan this month, officials said.

The body of the man identified as Asmatullah Kharoti was found in Wana, the main town of the South Waziristan tribal district, which borders Afghanistan.

Local officials said he had been shot dead and there were wounds on his neck.

Two notes on the body ordered the remains to be left on the roadside until 10:00 am “so that everyone could see the fate of spies”, and the second accusing him of being a spy and being responsible for US drone attacks.

“He is a spy and was giving information to US and Isaf forces in Afghanistan about our activities,” a local official quoted the note as saying.

“He is responsible for the killing of five of our senior members, including Mullah Nazir, in drone attacks. He confessed that he installed chips in digital Qurans,” the note added.

Nazir was killed in a US drone strike on Jan 2. He was the main militant commander in South Waziristan and was known to be 'pro-Pakistan', focusing his attacks across the border to fight US, Nato and Afghan government troops in Afghanistan, and was accused of sheltering Al Qaeda.

He was one of the most high-profile victims of US drone strikes in Pakistan, which Islamabad publicly criticises as a violation of sovereignty but which US officials believe are a vital weapon in the war against extremists.

Two militants from Nazir's group who spoke to AFP accused Kharoti of giving Nazir a digital Quran, fitted with chips to track his movements, during a meeting at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan.

“He presented Nazir and others digital Qurans as a gift which were fitted with chips which help US drones strike their targets,” one of the militants said.

“When Mullah Nazir was returning, US drones fired missiles at him in a Pakistani area,” he said.

Opinion

Editorial

More ‘austerity’
Updated 09 Sep, 2024

More ‘austerity’

Reducing the number of federal employees will not make much difference without wide-ranging reforms to cut perks of higher bureaucracy.
Plastic menace
09 Sep, 2024

Plastic menace

South Asian countries must put aside political hostilities and work together to tackle the shared environmental threat of plastic pollution.
Paralympics feat
09 Sep, 2024

Paralympics feat

Haider Ali must be celebrated and supported for he has, on his own, given Pakistan a spot on the medals table.
Security challenges
Updated 08 Sep, 2024

Security challenges

It has been clear for a while that local populations in areas currently most affected by terrorism and militancy still do not want grand operations.
Irsa law changes
08 Sep, 2024

Irsa law changes

THE proposed controversial changes to the Irsa law, which aim to restructure the water regulator, will significantly...
Gaza polio campaign
08 Sep, 2024

Gaza polio campaign

AFTER 11 months of savage Israeli violence, Gaza’s health and sanitation systems have collapsed. As a result, the...