Intelligence officials say the militant killed in a recent counter-terrorism raid in Bajaur has been identified as Noor Rehman, alias “Sardari,” an Afghan national from Nerkh village in Wardak province.
According to security sources, Rehman—armed with U.S.-made weapons—was an active member of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and died in a firefight with Pakistani forces.
Officials note a growing trend of Afghan nationals appearing among militants killed or captured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. A recent assessment suggests that many former Afghan army personnel have joined TTP and other extremist factions since the Taliban takeover.
The incident follows similar cross-border clashes in Khyber and Kurram districts and the killing of an Islamic State Khorasan commander in Mazar-e-Sharif, further undermining the Taliban’s repeated claim that “no foreign terrorists” operate from Afghan soil.
Earlier this week, Pakistan, China, Iran and Russia jointly urged Kabul to act against militant groups, with Islamabad warning the Taliban that regional trade and counter-terrorism cooperation cannot coexist with cross-border attacks.
