Mastermind of Dasu terrorist attack killed in Afghanistan

Kabul: Tariq Rafiq, the mastermind behind the terrorist attack on the Chinese nationals working at the Diamar Bhasha Dam site in Dasu area of Upper Kohistan, has been killed in Afghanistan.

According to Afghan news agency, the leader of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Tariq has been killed in Afghanistan's Kunar province.

Afghan news agency told that a senior TTP commander has confirmed that Tariq Rafiq also known as ‘Button Kharab’ has been out of contact since yesterday.

No further details have been revealed in this regard, while pictures of Tariq in a severely injured condition are going viral on social media, in which his death is claimed.

Dasu incident

It is pertinent to note that earlier on July 14, 2021, 12 people, including 09 Chinese nationals working at the Diamar Bhasha Dam site were killed in the incident that took place in Dasu area of Upper Kohistan.

Initially, the incident was declared as an accident, but later the then federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry confirmed the presence of explosive material in the incident.

Addressing a press conference the following month, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Javed Iqbal said that Dasu incident was a suicide attack done by Afghanistan attacker.

14 different people were involved in the entire incident who have been arrested from Pakistan, DIG told adding that Khalid aka Sheikh was the name of the suicide bomber and was also the citizen of Afghanistan.

He also said that Tariq of the outlawed TTP based in Afghanistan was the leader of this group. Muawiya and Tariq received training from RAW and NDS in Afghanistan and both planned the Dasu incident.