Daesh militant leader Sanaullah Ghafari killed in Afghanistan

Islamabad, June 9

One of the most-wanted terrorists in the world and Daesh Khorasan leader Shahab al-Muhajir, also known as Sanaullah Ghafari, has been killed in Afghanistan's Kunar province.

Ghafari, who belonged to Afghanistan's capital city Kabul, was not only wanted in Pakistan but internationally following his involvement in several terror attacks in countries including Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, The News reported.

He was leading Daesh Khurasan since April 2020 during which he was the mastermind and head of operations in all the activities conducted by the terrorist group. He had been nominated as the mastermind and operation leader in several attacks in Pakistan and other countries in the world.

The terrorist was involved in the attack on Pakistan's embassy in Kabul and the one that blew up an imam bargah in Peshawar's Qisa Khawani Bazar. He was also a part of the jailbreak in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province as well as the rocket attacks in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Ghafari, was declared a global terrorist by the United Nations, the United States of America and the European Union in December 2021, which also set head money worth $10 million for information related to him. The US State Department stated he was "responsible for approving all ISIS-K operations throughout Afghanistan and arranging funding to conduct operations."

In Iran, Ghafari's involvement was found in the Shah Cheragh attack and one on a mosque in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif, The News reported.

According to the US State Department's national security rewards programme, Rewards for Justice, a reward of up to $10 million was placed for information on Ghafari.

"In June 2020, ISIS core leadership appointed al-Muhajir, also known as Sanaullah Ghafari, to be the leader of ISIS-K, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation. An ISIS communique announcing his appointment described al-Muhajir as an experienced military leader and one of ISIS-K's "urban lions" in Kabul who has been involved in guerrilla operations and the planning of suicide and complex attacks," a statement on the programme's website read as per The News reported.