- Pakistani Taliban say Abdul Wali, founding commander of the organization.
- Wali was killed along with two other TTP commanders in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.
- “Rewards for Justice” program offers a reward of up to $3 million for information on Abdul Wali.
According to two sources inside the Pakistani Taliban leadership, a top founding commander of the organization was slain in a targeted strike on Sunday night.
Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), often known as the Pakistan Taliban, is a US-designated foreign terrorist organisation that operates in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
According to TTP sources, top commander Abdul Wali, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was murdered in a targeted IED assault alongside two other TTP commanders. The killings took place in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, which borders Pakistan.
CNN attempted to contact Pakistan’s interior ministry for confirmation of Wali’s death but did not get a response.
Wali was the head of Jamaat ul-Ahrar, a TTP-affiliated terrorist organisation, according to the US State Department (JuA).
According to the US State Department, JuA has been one of the most operationally active TTP networks in Punjab Province, Pakistan, and has claimed responsibility for many strikes throughout the country.
The JuA claimed responsibility for some of Pakistan’s biggest terrorist acts, including the Easter Sunday 2016 bombing in a park in Lahore, which killed at least 74 people and wounded 362 more.
The State Department’s “Rewards for Justice” programme is offering up to $3 million in reward money for information about Abdul Wali. CNN has sought reaction from the US State Department.
His death comes as the TTP and the Pakistani establishment are attempting to reach an agreement.
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