Former Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid, along with 24 other militants, were killed in a US drone strike on Thursday, according to Afghan news agencies.
Shahidullah was killed in a US drone strike in Nangarhar province, across Afghanistan’s border.
The identity of the other assailants is yet to be ascertained.
After his pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State, TTP had disowned Shahidullah Shahid along with five other top commanders.
Although the TTP had not given any specific reason for disowning its one time active spokesperson, it is widely believed that he was removed after announcing his allegiance to IS and claiming responsibility for the recent attacks on security forces check post in the border area of Bajur Agency.
Shahid had claimed that TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah was also supporting IS, though he hasn’t yet decided to join the group. Since the assassination of its former chief Hakimullah Mehsud in US Drone attack in November last year, the group has splintered.
