Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Sheikh Yusuf Afridi, a senior commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was gunned down by unidentified assailants on on Sunday in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According to reports, the attackers closed in at point-blank range, fired multiple shots, and managed to vanish into the regional chaos, leaving the commander no chance to escape. By the time responders reached the scene, Afridi had succumbed to his multiple bullet injuries.
No organization has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Known to be a close associate of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, Afridi Afridi was an influential figure in the group’s operations within Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to security officials, he played a “key role in recruitment and ideological outreach for the group,” while also coordinating training and the movement of operatives often linked to activities targeting Jammu and Kashmir.
Afridi’s death is not an isolated event, as Pakistan has experienced a string of similar killings targeting individuals affiliated with banned militant outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, over the past several years.
According to reports, more than 30 such figures have been killed by unknown gunmen across provinces including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and regions like Lahore and Karachi since the start of 2026. The attackers have repeatedly struck and disappeared without leaving behind clear evidence.
