According to press reports, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban movement, one of the most wanted in the world, died in a mine explosion in Afghanistan.
Pakistani officials said a prominent Pakistani Taliban leader and three other militants “were killed last night in an attack on their car in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika.”
The Associated Press quoted officials as saying there was an explosion late at night on the side of a road in eastern Afghanistan, targeting a vehicle carrying members of the Pakistani Taliban, killing a prominent leader and three other militants.
The agency said the slain leader’s name was “Abdul Wali,” also known as “Omar Khaled Khorasani,” and his death was a severe blow to the Pakistani Taliban.
According to the same source, the Pakistani Taliban blamed Pakistani intelligence agents for the killing, without providing evidence or going into details.
Khorasani’s killing followed months of negotiations that began shortly after the Taliban seized power in Kabul a year ago.
Source: AP