Killing of Pakistan Taliban chief ‘significant’ – PM Mulk
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk described the killing of Pakistan Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah in a US drone strike Thursday in Afghanistan as a "significant development in the fight against terrorism."
Mulk made the comment in a telephone conversation Friday night with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and thanked him for sharing information about Fazlullah's killing, said a Pakistan government statement.
The call was initiated by Ghani, who tweeted that Fazlullah's killing was "the result of tireless human intel by Afghan security agencies."
A US official said the United States believes that it is likely the strike killed Fazlullah, but efforts are ongoing to confirm his death. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss preliminary information.
In his tweet, Ghani said he also called Pakistan's Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. In both conversations Ghani said he urged Pakistan "to take practical steps to bring Afghan Taliban residing in Pakistan to the negotiation table."
Thursday's drone strike, which reportedly killed Fazlullah and five other insurgents when missiles slammed into the car in which they were driving, occurred just hours before Afghanistan's Taliban began a three-day cease fire.
The cease-fire, which took effect at midnight Thursday, marks the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which follows the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when the faithful fast from sunrise to sunset. The Afghan Taliban announced their cease-fire after Ghani unilaterally declared a temporary ceasefire for the holidays on June 7.