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PAKISTAN: A senior Afghan Taliban commander has been gunned down in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, insurgent leaders were quoted as saying on Friday.
The shooting happened in Kachlak area, some 25 kilometres from the provincial capital Quetta, on Thursday evening, The Express Tribune reported.
A source in the insurgent movement believed the killing of Maulvi Muhammad Alam, a close confidant of Taliban’s supreme leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, could be the outcome of infighting.
In recent weeks, Alam reportedly led attacks against Taliban dissidents in southern Zabul province. Mansoor Dadullah, who refused to swear allegiance to the new Taliban chief, was among those killed in the clashes.
“I can confirm that Maulvi Muhammad Alam has been killed. Investigations are underway but we do not have details as to who is behind the incident,” a Taliban leader told the newspaper.
Maulvi Alam, enjoying a strong following in Zabul, allegedly sheltered a large number foreign insurgents.
After weeks of a succession crisis, Mullah Mansoor was elected as Taliban’s supreme leader after the disclosure of Mullah Mohammad Omar’s death in July last year.
