Photo: File 

PESHAWAR: Frictions between Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and its splinter group Hizb-ul-Ahrar led to the killing of a close aide of Hakimullah Mehsud and Baitullah Mehsud, and another militant in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

According to sources, Jihad Yar Mehsud had joined Hizb-ul-Ahrar a few days back. However, he and his fellow militant, Aleem Khan alias Umer Kamal, were killed during a clash between Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and its splinter group Hizb-ul-Ahrar.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is led by Omar Khalid Khurasan, while Hizb-ul-Ahrar was formed by Umer Khorasani alias Mukarram following clashes over policies with the former group.

Earlier, Omar Khalid killed his close aide Abbas Momand along with three others. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar leader also injured Mukarram in 2017 when Hizb-ul-Ahrar was being formed. 

In a video message issued earlier, Mukarram expressed reservations over attack carried out by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, including those on the NADRA office in Mardan in December 2015 and on Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Lahore in March 2016. According to Mukarram, they parted ways and formed Hizb-ul-Ahrar as they were against Jamaat-ul-Ahrar for collecting extorting and attacking minorities.