Rebel commander among 5 killed in Peshawar blast

PESHAWAR (PAN’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, an official said.

The attack happened inside the residence of a local leader of the Ansar-ul-Islam militant group, Haji Ghulam Akhundzada, in the Pakha Ghulam area, a senior police official said.

Siraj Ahmad told journalists Akhundzada and his son-in-law were among the dead. Eight others were injured in the attack, the police officer added.

Giving a witness account, Suhail Ahmad, told Pajhwok Afghan News the bombing left dead three people, including a child.

Mohammad Amin, the victim’s brother, accused the rival Lashkar-i-Islam group of killing Akhundzada. “My brother had escaped unhurt in three previous attacks. The terrorists have killed my three sons.”

Commander Akhunzada’s house was damaged in the overnight attack. Both active in the Khyber tribal region, Lashkar-i-Islam and Ansar-ul-Islam have a history of killing each other’s fighters.

Mm/mud

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