High-profile terrorist killed in Bannu was Afghan special forces member: security sources

BANNU: A high-profile terrorist who was killed in a recent operation by security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district was a member of the Afghan Taliban regime’s special forces, security sources said on Friday.

Security sources said the terrorist, Fatehullah alias Mudassir, was an active member of Yarmook 60 Special Forces Battalion. The unit operates under the Taliban regime’s Ministry of Interior Affairs.

They added that Fatehullah belonged to the Zarmat district of Afghanistan’s Paktia province and was actively involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan alongside the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Reports further suggest that he was also involved in facilitating cross-border terrorist networks and planning various militant operations, the security sources elaborated.

Security sources said that Fatehullah was killed along with his accomplices during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted near Bannu’s Baka Khel Airport on April 9. During the operation, security forces effectively targeted militant hideouts and neutralised the terrorists.

The security sources maintained that the revelations regarding Fatehullah’s Afghan background had raised serious questions over repeated claims by the Afghan Taliban government that their soil would not be allowed to be used against any other country, particularly Pakistan.

Such evidence strengthens concerns regarding cross-border terrorist networks in Afghanistan and regional militant connections, acting against Pakistan, the security sources added.

Bannu district has been the scene of repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and local security forces coming under attack amid a broader surge in militant violence.

Violence in Bannu has included attacks on police and jirga members, prompting targeted operations by police and security forces in various localities to disrupt militant networks.