KABUL: Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency said on Tuesday a top regional leader of the Al-Qaeda had been killed in a joint raid led by United States and Afghan troops in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province last month.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said Asim Omar, a leader of the network for the Indian subcontinent, was killed along with other members of Al-Qaeda in the Musa Qala district of Helmand, a main bastion of Taliban insurgents.
“NDS can now confirm the death of Asim Omar, leader of Al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS), in a joint US-Afghan led operation,” the spy agency said in a statement.
It described Omar as a Pakistani national, and said six others had been killed in the same operation, including Raihan, Omar’s courier to Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda.
In September 2014, Al-Zawahiri announced the creation of AQIS in a video message and said Asim Umar would be its top commander.
The US attacked Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks in which Al-Qaeda hijackers slammed airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, killing almost 3,000 people. The US-led coalition ousted the Taliban from power for harboring Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, and drove Al-Qaeda’s leaders, including Osama bin Laden, to Pakistan.
Al Qaeda has been decimated over the years. But US officials estimate there are still small numbers of Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan, some with deep ties to the Taliban insurgency. More are across the border in Pakistan.
Many US officials doubt the Taliban could be relied upon to prevent Al-Qaeda from again plotting attacks against the United States from Afghan soil. That was one of the main US demands during peace negotiations with the Taliban that US President Trump declared “dead” last month.
Afghan spy agency says top Al-Qaeda leader killed in joint US raid
Afghan spy agency says top Al-Qaeda leader killed in joint US raid
- Asim Omar led Al-Qaeda’s network in the Indian subcontinent
- Spy agency described Omar as a Pakistani national, said six others killed in same operation
Pakistan, China to sign multiple MoUs at major agriculture investment conference today
- Hundreds of Chinese and Pakistani firms to attend Islamabad event
- Conference seen as part of expanding CPEC ties into agriculture, trade
KARACHI: Islamabad and Beijing are set to sign multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to boost agricultural investment and cooperation at a major conference taking place in the capital today, Monday, with hundreds of Chinese and Pakistani companies expected to participate.
The conference is being billed by Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research as a platform for deepening bilateral agricultural ties and supporting broader economic engagement between the two countries.
“Multiple memorandums of understanding will be signed at the Pakistan–China Agricultural Conference,” the Ministry of National Food Security said in a statement. “115 Chinese and 165 Pakistani companies will participate.”
The conference reflects a growing emphasis on expanding Pakistan-China economic cooperation beyond the transport and energy foundations of the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into agriculture, industry and technology.
Under its first phase launched in 2015, CPEC, a core component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, focused primarily on transportation infrastructure, energy generation and connectivity projects linking western China to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan. That phase included motorways, power plants and the development of the Gwadar Port in the country's southwest, aimed at helping Pakistan address chronic power shortages and enhance transport connectivity.
In recent years, both governments have formally moved toward a “CPEC 2.0” phase aimed at diversifying the corridor’s impact into areas such as special economic zones, innovation, digital cooperation and agriculture. Second-phase discussions have highlighted Pakistan’s goal of modernizing its agricultural sector, attracting Chinese technology and investment, and boosting export potential, with high-level talks taking place between planning officials and investors in Beijing.
Agri-sector cooperation has also seen practical collaboration, with joint initiatives examining technology transfer, export protocols and value-chain development, including partnerships in livestock, mechanization and horticulture.
Organizers say the Islamabad conference will bring together government policymakers, private sector investors, industry associations and multinational agribusiness firms from both nations. Discussions will center on investment opportunities, technology adoption, export expansion and building linkages with global buyers within the framework of Pakistan-China economic cooperation.
