On the evening of October 9, Nur Wali Mahsud, the leader of the "Tahriki Taliban Pakistan" (TTP) group, was killed in a powerful explosion in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. This was reported by Asia-Plus, citing local media.
According to reports, the explosion occurred in the central part of Kabul - near the Abdulhaq intersection, as well as in the districts of Kart-e-Nou, Shahr-e-Nou, Taymani, and Khairkhan. According to local residents, the Land Cruiser exploded as a result of the airstrike. It was reported that the leader of TTP was 47-year-old Nur Vali Mahsud.
Mahsud was appointed as the group's leader after the death of Mullah Fazlullah in 2018 and has since been placed on an international wanted list by the Pakistani government. Sources indicate that he also engaged in kidnapping and robbery to finance a militant network.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the explosion and stated that an investigation is underway. However, some sources within the movement told Afghanistan International that the attack was the result of an airstrike carried out by Pakistan.
This happened at a time when relations between the two countries were tense. The Islamabad side has repeatedly indicated that TTP militants are hiding in Afghanistan.
Following the attack, Pakistani Defense Minister Khoja Asif made a statement via social media, directly referring to the airstrikes in Kabul. According to him, the Afghan Taliban should be held accountable for taking Pakistani militants under their wing. "We have lost our patience with the terrorists and those who support them," the minister wrote.
Afghanistan's representative to the UN, Nasirahmad Faik, assessed this action as a gross violation of the country's territorial integrity, that is, an aggression. He emphasized that "such illegal actions cannot be carried out under any pretext, as this disrupts peace and stability in the region."
Sources indicate that Taliban commanders in Kabul were alerted after the incident. Local media reminded that this is not Pakistan's first air operation in Afghanistan.
At the end of September, it was also reported that the commander of the "Islamic State - Khorasan" division, Muhammad Ehsani, was killed in a special services operation in Mazar-i-Sharif.
The recent incident in Kabul shows that the conflict between the two countries is escalating again - in a situation where smoke and explosions sound more than words of peace.
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