Afghanistan’s Haqqani Network leader, Nasser-ud-Din shot dead

Unidentified gunmen have assassinated senior leader of Afghanistan’s Haqqani Network, Dr Naseer-ud-Din Haqqani in the outskirts of Islamabad, Taliban said on Monday.

Dr Naseer came under attack late Sunday in Barakau area when he had been returning home from evening prayer, they said.

"The dead body was later sent to Miranshah and buried there," a Haqqani Network official said. His family sources also confirmed the incident.

Slain Naseer-ud-Din Haqqani was responsible for fund-raising, logistics and political affairs of the Haqqani Network, the network sources said.

“Naseer-ud-Din was also in-charge of the foreign affairs of the Network on the special instructions of his father,” a network leader said.

He had been dealing with the Network’s peace process when the Taliban involved in dialogue time to time.

He was elder among the sons of Jalaluddin Haqqani, a known Jehadi leader and former Taliban minister. He was believed to be of 43-year of age.

Naseer is the fourth son of Jalaluddin Haqqani who has been killed in fighting and U.S. drone attacks.

His brother, Badruddin Haqqani was killed a US drone attack in North Waziristan in August this year.

Muhammad Haqqani, 22, Nasser’s another brother, was killed in American drone attack in North Waziristan in 2009. Umer Haqqani was the youngest son of Jalaluddin Haqqani died in fighting in Afghanistan in the age of 17 in 2008.  

Eye witnesses said a bearded man arrived at the market in his black-colour car with the driver to buy bread from a shop in a small market on Simly Dam road in Barakau. "He was standing outside the 'nan-shop' when the gunmen opened fire at him. The gunmen, riding motorcycles, later fled," witnesses told reporters on Monday.  

Eye witnesses said that a young man working in a shop was also injured when the gunmen sprayed dozens of bullets. He was taken to a local hospital and is under treatment.

No one claimed responsibility for the assassination of the Naseer-ud-Din.

Police sources confirmed the firing incident but refused to confirm identity of the Haqqani Network leader.

Pakistani Taliban Monday confirmed the killing of Naseer-ud-Din Haqqani.

Spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Shahidullah Shahid, confirmed the killing of Dr. Naseer-ud-Din Haqqani.

"We will take revenge of the murder," the TTP spokesman told the media persons by the phone.

Afghan Taliban spokesman, Qari Muhammad Yousaf, denied Pakistani media reports that slain Nasser-ud-Din was using the name of the Zabihullah Mujahid, another Afghan Taliban spokesman.

"He was not Zabihullah Mujahid," Qari Yousaf said in a text message after section of the media reported that the slain leader of the Haqqani Network was Zabihullah Mujahid who usually contacts the media to claim responsibility for Taliban attacks in Afghanistan.

PEACE ROLE: Naseer-ud-Din Haqqani had been deeply involved in the Taliban's Qatar peace process and had also visited Doha after the Taliban opened office in June, a Qatar-based Taliban negotiator said.

"He was in Qatar days after the office had been opened but was not a regular member of dialogue process," he said.

"He used to visit UAE for meetings with the Taliban leaders as part of their peace process, to share his suggestions and to keep himself abreast of the dialogue process," the Taliban leader said.

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