A top Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander and the alleged mastermind of the recent suicide attack on the Frontier Corps (FC) Headquarters in Balochistan has been shot dead in southern Afghanistan, sources confirmed on Friday.
According to security sources, Hafiz Mukhtar, a high-ranking khariji, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in the Maruf district of Kandahar province. He was described as one of the most critical figures within the outlawed group’s network and had been declared a leading “Khariji” by the Pakistani state.
Mukhtar was reportedly a close aide of senior TTP Commanders, Muhajir and Mukhlis Ameer. He was not only linked to the suicide bombing on the FC HQ in Balochistan but also directly involved in multiple terrorist operations across the region.
While the identity of the attackers remains unknown, the killing marks a significant blow to the TTP’s operational leadership, especially amid growing regional pressure on the Taliban regime to crack down on terrorist sanctuaries operating from Afghan soil.
The incident comes at a time when Pakistan and other regional actors continue to raise alarms over the resurgence of TTP and other militant groups using Afghanistan as a base for cross-border attacks; claims the Taliban administration in Kabul has consistently denied.
