Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Akbar Hoti on Monday claimed that the chief of banned militant group Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), Mangal Bagh had been killed in clashes with rival militants. However, a spokesman for the banned outfit rejected the IG’s claim, saying Bagh was safe and sound. Talking to reporters, the IG said he had received information about Bagh’s death. He said the LI head was killed during fighting between two rival militant groups in the remote Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency.
However, he did not confirm when Bagh was killed. According to some reports, the LI chief was injured during clashes with the rival militant group of Tariq Afridi, who was fighting for the control of the area. A commander of the LI, Mohammad Hussain, also rejected the reports, saying Bagh alive. Earlier, there were reports about Bagh getting injured in a suicide attack on a mosque in Tirah valley. However, those reports were also denied by the LI spokesman.