By: The Trek News Desk
A senior figure linked to the banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba has been killed in a targeted shooting in Pakistan. The deceased, identified as Sheikh Yousaf Afridi, was considered a close associate of Hafiz Saeed and an influential member within the organisation.
According to police officials, the incident occurred on Sunday in the Landi Kotal area of the Khyber region, located around 250 kilometres from Islamabad. Unidentified gunmen reportedly opened heavy fire on Afridi, killing him on the spot before fleeing the scene. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Sources indicate that Afridi played a significant role in the regional operations of the outfit, particularly in recruitment and coordination activities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His presence was seen as important within the group’s local network.
Following the killing, tension has escalated in the area, and authorities have launched an investigation to track down those involved. Meanwhile, an official linked to Jamaat-ud-Dawa described Afridi as a well-known religious scholar from the Zakhakhel tribe and associated with the Ahl-e-Hadith (Salafi) ideology.
The official also suggested that such attacks could be linked to growing ideological confrontations between Salafi scholars and extremist factions in recent times.
Notably, the incident comes shortly after another attack in Lahore, where Amir Hamza, a founding member of the group, was injured in a shooting. Meanwhile, Hafiz Saeed has been imprisoned in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 following convictions related to terror financing.
Source: News Agencies
