13 suspected Indian IS fighters killed as MOAB hit Afghanistan: Reports | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

13 suspected Indian IS fighters killed as MOAB hit Afghanistan: Reports

New Delhi, Hindustan Times | ByRajesh Ahuja and Rezaul H Laskar
Apr 18, 2017 09:05 PM IST

At least two dozen Indians, including 21 from Kerala, were believed to have joined the IS in eastern Afghanistan last year.

 

A combination of still images taken from a video released by the US Department of Defence on April 14, 2017 shows (clockwise) the explosion of a MOAB, or "mother of all bombs", when it struck the Achin district of the eastern province of Nangarhar, Afghanistan.
A combination of still images taken from a video released by the US Department of Defence on April 14, 2017 shows (clockwise) the explosion of a MOAB, or "mother of all bombs", when it struck the Achin district of the eastern province of Nangarhar, Afghanistan.

Thirteen suspected Islamic State fighters from India were among the 96 militants killed when the US military dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb on IS positions in eastern Afghanistan, according to an Afghan media report on Tuesday.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Kabul-based Pajhwok Afghan News agency quoted an unnamed security official as saying that “13 Indian Daesh militants were also among those killed”. Daesh is a name used by Afghan and Arab officials to refer to IS.

The security official said 13 IS commanders were also among the dead. At least two of the commanders – identified by the official only as Mohammad and Allah Gupta – were from India.

Sheikh Waqas, a former member of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and a resident of the Orakzai tribal region, was also among the dead commanders.

Diplomatic sources in Kabul said there was “no confirmation of these reports”. An Indian security source in New Delhi also said: “No confirmation as of now about the killing of any Indian in the attack.”

Amaq News Agency, the IS media arm, has said none of the group’s fighters were killed in the attack.

The security source said NIA officials were in touch with families of Indians suspected of being recruited by IS to gather details.

At least two dozen Indians, including 21 from Kerala, were believed to have joined the IS in eastern Afghanistan, the area that was targeted by the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), nicknamed the “mother of all bombs”, on April 13.

Relatives of these people too said they had no information about the fate of their wards. Thirteen of the missing are from Padanna village in north Kerala’s Kasargode district.

Before the MOAB attack, two alleged Indian recruits – Mohamed Mursheed and Mohammad Hafeezuddin – had died in the past two months. Hafeezuddin died two months ago but news of Mursheed’s death was conveyed to his family two days before the MOAB attack.

“After informing us about the death of Mursheed, we are yet to hear from them. I tried to send a message to Ashfaaq Majeed, one of the missing youth who used to send us messages, on Telegram but it elicited no replies,” said BC Rehman, a relative of one of the missing men.

The security official quoted by Pajhwok said the MOAB attack in Achin district of Nangarhar province also killed former Pakistani Taliban fighter Shahid Omar Afridi, Mumtaz, a retired Pakistani military officer, and commanders Emran Orakzai and Aftab Punjabi from Pakistan.

The official said important IS hideouts were located in a cave complex that was targeted with the MOAB. Fighters from other parts of the world would come and meet in this complex, the official said.

(With inputs from Ramesh Babu in Thiruvananthapuram)

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On