PESHAWAR: The former aide to the late Taliban commander Mullah Nazir was killed and another person injured after unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in Doag area of Wana tehsil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower South Waziristan.
In this regard, Wana Circle District Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asghar Ali Shah, Muhammad Khalid and another man were travelling from Rustam Bazaar Wana towards their home in Doag on Saturday evening when armed assailants opened fire near a cemetery.
Both men suffered bullet wounds in the attack. The rescue officials said Khalid was critically injured and died while being transported to Dera Ismail Khan for further medical treatment.
The second injured man was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana, where he is receiving treatment, according to the hospital’s medical superintendent.
Police said Khalid had previously served as an aide to Mullah Nazir’s group. However, authorities have not yet determined whether his former association was connected to the attack.
An initial report has been registered and an investigation is underway. Police said investigators are examining different aspects of the shooting and efforts are being made to identify and arrest those responsible.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
Mullah Nazir was regarded as an influential Taliban commander in Lower South Waziristan and belonged to the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe. His group had significant influence in Wana and surrounding areas.
Nazir survived a suicide attack in Wana’s Rustam Bazaar in November 2012. He was later killed along with several associates in a US drone strike near Sarakanda in Birmal tehsil on January 3, 2013.
Security Concerns Grow in Lower South Waziristan
The latest shooting comes amid heightened security concerns in Lower South Waziristan. Last week, a commission agent was killed and a woman injured after an armed man opened fire inside a Benazir Income Support Programme centre in Azam Warsak Bazaar.
Residents have called on the government and law-enforcement agencies to strengthen security measures and protect lives and property. The latest incident has further intensified concerns over law and order in the region.
