PEHAWAR: The spokesperson of the proscribed hard-line militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Mohammad Khurasani – ‘most-wanted’ militant leader – has reportedly been killed in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province on 10 January, military sources have confirmed.
His real name was Khalid Balti. Khurasani was trying to unite different TTP’s factions to wage war against the state of Pakistan. Khurasani was running a terror center in North Waziristan until he fled to Afghanistan after the launch of operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014. He had warned Pakistan of massive terror operations.
Read more:
On what terms state agreed on ceasefire with banned TTP?: Rabbani
Afghan Taliban asks TTP to focus on peace talks with govt
Taliban confirms ‘mediation’ between Pakistan and TTP
He became the spokesman of TTP after Shahidullah Shahid and was involved in attacks against the people of Pakistan and the security forces. However, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has denied the reports of his murder. According to a statement issued by the TTP, “Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Mohammad Khurasani is alive and well.”
The TTP had started horrific bloodshed across the country after its formation in 2007. However, after the massacre of about 150 school children in Peshawar in 2014, Pakistan army entered the TTP’s stronghold and crushed the movement and fighters were forced to retreat to Afghanistan.
Recently, the government has announced a one-month ceasefire with the TTP with the help of the Afghan Taliban, but the ceasefire ended on December 9 after both sides failed to make any progress in peace talks.
Talking about the dialogues with the banned with TTP General Babar Iftikhar said that the process was started on the request of the government; however, he said that the war against the terrorists is continuing after the end of ceasefire in December, last year. He said that there are also differences with the Taliban and the war on terrorism will continue. The Afghan Taliban, who were mediating the peace talks, had said that the TTP should focus on talks with Pakistan and made it clear that the militant group was never part of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.