Shahidullah Shahid (Shaykh Maqbool) … conflicting media reports confuse as to whether dead or alive? (Image, EAP)
The usual confusion surrounds the latest news on deaths by US drone strikes.
TOLO News (Afghanistan) tweeted,
BREAKING: Shahidullah Shahid, leader of Daesh in Afghanistan and former Pakistani Taliban spokesman, killed in Nangarhar drone attack: NDS
Adnan Bitani, researcher and journalist in Pakistan covering Tribal Area of Waziristan sent his tweet alleging Shahidullah (also known as Shaykh Maqbool) may not have been hit. Another person named as a possible drone casualty was Fateh Gulzman.
source confirm the #IS commander & #TTP ex chief 0f KhyberAgency #FatehGulzman killed in tht Drone strike #SHahidullah Shahid z in safe mode
Saleem Mehsud tweeted the following with photo,
ISIS Khurrassan Shura Amir Commander #ShahidullahShahid, #Gulzaman #JihadYar killed in #Nato bombing and #US drone
Samaa TV reported,
According to Afghan media, Shahidullah Shahid had joined ISIS and was killed in a missile strike along with 52 other ISIS militants.
Shahidullah among those giving bayah (allegiance) to IS (Still from IS video)
Back in October 2014, Shahidullah along with 5 other militants was reported to have defected from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and gave commitment to show allegiance to Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Qureshi al Hussaini, Emir of Islamic State. See following link,
“TTP release statement regarding Shahidullah Shahid who has pledged allegiance to IS”
He joined Wilayat Khorasan (AfPak Province) of IS and was later seen in a video giving bayah in which a Pakistani soldier was beheaded with a sword. See link,
“Is IS gaining a foothold in Pakistan?”
On a number of occasions “official sources” have declared militants dead numerous times only for them to reappear on a video 2 weeks later. The US often appears not to know whose life they have terminated and are extremely reluctant to give names. The numbers of alleged killed today in drone/ NATO bombing range from 5 to 52 in the press adding a great deal more confusion as to the real situation on the ground. The focus is on Shahidullah but who are the others terminated in the latest drone strike?
Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.
Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog 