30 Pakistani terrorists affiliated to Al Qaeda were killed in airstrikes in Helmand: Afghan govt

New Delhi : 30 Pakistani nationals affiliated to Al Qaeda have been killed in air strikes, informed the Defence Ministry of Afghanistan on Saturday.

"112 #Taliban terrorists including 30 #Pakistani affiliated to Al Qaeda terrorist network for indian subcontinent, were killed and 31 others wounded in #airstrikes conducted by #AAF at the outskirts of #Lashkargah city, #Helmand provincial center, yesterday," the Afghan Defence Ministry said in a tweet.

As per reports, Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates under Taliban protection from Kandahar, Helmand and Nimroz provinces, reports said.

Earlier on March 30, AQIS commander Dawlat Bek Tajiki (alias Abu Mohammad al-Tajiki) was killed by Afghan forces in Gyan district of Paktika province.

"Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is assessed by member states to be alive but ailing in Afghanistan. SayfAl Adl, his most likely successor, is reported to remain in the Islamic Republic of Iran," a report said.

Since the death of Asim Umar in 2019, AQIS has been led by Osama Mahmood, reports said, adding that the group consists mainly of Afghan and Pakistani nationals, and also includes individuals from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

Also with the casualties caused among their forces, the Taliban have been trying to use the services of foreign cadres for training the new entrants causing , infiltration of Taliban terrorists into Afghanistan from Pakistan.

Some of the best trained cadres have always been from the central Asian states who were sought by terror organisations such as the IS and the Al Qaeda in the past.Some of them have been instructors with various militant organisations and are considered among the best in the job, intelligence sources said.

Reports suggests that around 6,000 fresh terrorists based in Pakistan are being trained by Arab and Chechen instructors with the aim of raising a new unit.