Pakistan continues to provide safe haven to terror groups, including ISIS-K

Kabul, Oct 31 (IANS) The killing of a senior ISIS-Khorasan member in Pakistan's Peshawar has again sparked concerns regarding the group's presence and activities on the other side of the Durand Line, Afghanistan's media reported on Friday. The latest incident lays bare Islamabad's lies and repeated claims that no ISIS group is operating from the country's soil.

Nusrat, also known as Pahlawan Musa and Abu Zar, was one of the key figures in ISIS-K and was killed in Peshawar, Afghanistan's leading media outlet Tolo News reported, citing security sources. He reportedly played a part in plotting attacks in Kabul between 2022-2023 and led the group's 'Pahlawan' centre in Pakistan.

Sarwar Niazi, a military analyst, stated, "It’s clear that Pakistan has long trained terrorist groups on its soil and sent them to neighbouring countries, especially Afghanistan, to serve its interests."

Former US Special Envoy for Afghan Peace, Zalmay Khalilzad said that a key ISIS-K member who was planning attacks in Kabul had been killed in Peshawar. Khalilzad has repeatedly urged Pakistan to stop providing safe haven to the ISIS-K.

Some military experts said that the latest killing demonstrates that the threat posed by ISIS is not confined to Afghanistan's borders but is rooted regionally. They emphasised that regional cooperation is needed to eliminate the group.

Political analyst Aziz Maarej stated, "It is a fact that Pakistan is the producer of terrorism in the region."

Another political analyst Nisar Ahmad Sherzad told Tolo News that killing of senior ISIS leaders in Pakistan demonstrates that the "country supports the group and that its training centres are located within the Pakistani territory," the report detailed.

It is not the first time that reports have emerged regarding the presence or killing of ISIS commanders in Pakistan. Several key members of ISIS-K have been targetted in Pakistan's Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar.

--IANS

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