Daesh Gunmen Kill Politician in Pakistan’s Bajaur District

Peshawar, Pakistan: Gunmen from the regional Daesh group, known as IS-K, have killed a politician in northwest Pakistan, police said on Friday. Sufi Hameed, a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party in Bajaur district, was shot dead on Thursday evening as he was leaving a mosque after prayers. Two masked attackers on a motorcycle opened fire on Hameed, who died at the scene. The attackers fled after the shooting.

The Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack, describing Hameed as an “apostate” and accusing him of supporting Pakistan’s government and military. The group has been targeting political leaders and parties it considers to be against its strict interpretation of Islam.

This attack is part of a growing wave of violence by IS-K in Pakistan, particularly in regions like Bajaur, near the Afghanistan border, where militants remain active. Earlier this year, IS-K was responsible for at least 39 deaths in the region through targeted killings and bombings. Last year, a suicide bombing at a rally in Bajaur killed at least 54 people, including 23 children.

Pakistan has seen an uptick in militant violence, particularly in areas bordering Afghanistan, since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. Armed groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), continue to target security forces and government representatives in the country.