TTP’s top Commander Omar Khalid Khorasani killed in blast

KABUL, August 8: The main commander of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Omar Khalid Khorasani on Monday was killed in a blast along with his companions in Afghanistan.
The Gandhara news agency quoting sources reported that one of the commanders was Abdul Wali alias Omar Khalid Khorasani, who was considered to have been one of the most influential and ruthless TTP leaders. The other two were identified as Hafiz Dawlat and Mufti Hassan.
The TTP spokesperson has confirmed the death. It was further revealed that Omar Khalid Khorasani’s son-in-law Mufti Hassan and Hafiz Dawlat are also among the dead. The sources further added that Umar Khalid Khorasani was one of the TTP top commanders and was also believed to be the mastermind behind the attack on APS Peshawar.
The men were traveling in the Birmal district of the Afghan province of Paktika when their car hit a roadside mine on the evening of August 7, the sources told RFE/RL Radio Mashaal, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The three commanders were said to be based in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. They were traveling to Birmal “for consultation,” the sources said, without providing any further details. -NNI