Security sources confirmed Sunday that Muhammad Ihsani, alias Anwaar, a senior commander of the banned Daesh-K, was killed in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif.
Ihsani, of Tajik origin, was a key facilitator of the 2022 Peshawar Kocha Risaldar bombing that killed 67 people. He was also responsible for bringing and training Tajik suicide bombers in Pakistan.
In September 2025, Pakistani forces killed three ISIS-K militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including an Afghan national.
Meanwhile, Operation Sarbakaf continues in Bajaur, targeting ISIS-K and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) facilitators.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in cross-border attacks since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in KP and Balochistan.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), militant incidents in August rose 74% from July, with 194 fatalities recorded.