Pakistan hands over Afghan deputy governor’s son’s body after militant raid

Pakistan has handed over the body of Badaruddin, son of an Afghan deputy governor, to Afghan authorities at the Angoor Adda border crossing in South Waziristan.

According to security sources, Badaruddin, also known as Yusuf, was killed in an operation against militants in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan. He was affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and had been involved in terrorist activities inside Pakistan, sources said.

Pakistan repeatedly urged Afghan authorities to accept the body, but Kabul refused, reportedly insisting on receiving it without following diplomatic protocols.

Despite the development, the Afghan government has remained silent. Maulana Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, did not respond to requests for comment.

Security forces said Badaruddin was among four militants killed in a January 31 intelligence-based operation. He was the son of Maulvi Ghulam Muhammad Ahmadi, deputy governor of Afghanistan’s Badghis province, which borders Turkmenistan.

“Advanced U.S.-made weapons, including M16A4 rifles, M24 sniper rifles, and modern night vision devices, were also recovered from the militants,” sources revealed.

Security officials said Badaruddin was previously a trainer at an Afghan Taliban training center before joining TTP. They believe his presence in Pakistan highlights links between the Afghan government and the extremist group—an issue Islamabad has repeatedly raised.

“Militants affiliated with the group have long used Afghan soil to orchestrate attacks against Pakistan, and the killing of a senior Afghan official’s son while fighting alongside TTP serves as yet another glaring example of this collaboration,” a security source said.

Tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban administration have worsened since the latter took power in 2021. Pakistan initially backed the Taliban during the U.S. withdrawal, expecting cooperation. However, terrorist attacks inside Pakistan have surged since then.

According to the Ministry of Interior, 948 of the 1,566 terrorist incidents reported in the past 10 months occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing 583 deaths—two-thirds of the national toll.

TTP ended a fragile ceasefire with the government in late 2022 and has since escalated attacks on security forces and civilians in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

In response, Pakistan’s government officially designated the group as Fitna al-Khawarij in July 2023, urging the public to refer to TTP as "Khawarij" (outcasts). Frustrated by Kabul’s reluctance to act against the group, Pakistan’s military has carried out airstrikes on TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan.