ISLAMABAD: The chief of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban, has been killed in a US drone strike, a spokesman for the group confirmed on Thursday. “Chief of our Jamaat-ul-Ahrar Umar Khalid Khorasani, who sustained serious injuries in a recent US drone strike in Afghanistan’s Paktia province, succumbed to his injuries Wednesday evening,” JuA spokesman Asad Mansoor told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location. “At least nine close associates of Khorasani were also killed in the strike,” he added. Mansoor said a high-level meeting of JuA’s consultative council will be convened soon to appoint the outfit’s new chief.
However, an important Taliban commander said on condition of anonymity that one of JuA’s senior commanders, Asad Afridi, has already been appointed new JuA chief. Analysts said Khorasani’s death suggested resumption of intelligence sharing and coordination between Pakistan and the US. “The resumption of drone strikes on anti-Pakistan elements following hard stance on Trump’s Afghan policy signals moderation of positions by Islamabad and Washington,” leading Pakistan security analyst Imtiaz Gul said.
Published in Daily Times, October 20th 2017.
