Afghan forces kill Haqqani commander in Paktika

A senior commander of the Haqqani militant group has been killed during a military operation in Afghanistan’s southeastern province of Paktika.

Nabiullah Pirkhil, a spokesman for the governor of Paktika, said Monday that Mullah Ramazan was killed during a National Army raid in the Malik Shahi area of Barmal District.

The security forces also seized an AK47 assault rifle and two hand grenades during the operation.

Pirkhil added that Ramazan had been involved in terrorist activities together with the militant group for the past eight years.

The Haqqani terrorist group killed 20 people and injured 62 others in an attack during a demonstration in the neighboring province of Khost last week. The attack took place on April 2 when a bomber detonated his explosives among dozens of people who were staging a rally near the governor’s residence in the provincial capital of Khost.

Explosions, including roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are by far the most lethal weapons the Taliban militants use against Afghan forces, foreign troops, and civilians.

Latest official data show that as many as 22 bomb attacks were carried out in Afghanistan in March. Some 116 people lost their lives and nearly 170 others sustained injuries in a spate of terrorist attacks during the period.