Latest News
Senior ISIS-K commander reportedly killed in Punjab, Pakistan
The reported killing adds to a growing pattern of high-ranking ISIS-K operatives being eliminated on Pakistani soil—despite Islamabad’s repeated denials that the country provides safe haven to members of the group.
A senior commander of the ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) network has reportedly been killed in Pakistan’s Punjab province, according to local news outlet Al-Marsad.
The operative, identified as Burhan, also known by the alias “Zaid,” was killed in the Patak area of Akhtarabad.
Zaid was regarded as one of ISIS-K’s most influential figures and a close associate of top leaders Qari Fateh and Abu Bakr. He previously held key operational roles within the group and was active across parts of eastern Afghanistan before shifting his activities to Pakistan.
The reported killing adds to a growing pattern of high-ranking ISIS-K operatives being eliminated on Pakistani soil—despite Islamabad’s repeated denials that the country provides safe haven to members of the group. Several targeted operations in recent months have raised questions about the extent of ISIS-K’s presence inside Pakistan.
Reacting to the reports, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad wrote on X: “Good news from Pakistan: Reports indicate that senior ISIS-K commander Burhan, also known as Zaid, has been killed in the Patak area of Akhtarabad, Punjab.”