Overview

• Gul Rehman, also known as Ustad Mureed, was reported killed on September 17 in Helmand province under unclear circumstances.
• Security sources identify him as the Majeed Brigade’s operational commander linked to the March Jaffar Express hijacking that left 26 passengers dead before the rescue and 33 attackers killed.
• He has been accused of orchestrating attacks against security forces, Chinese nationals and CPEC sites, including strikes on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, the Gwadar Pearl Continental and the Karachi Confucius Institute.
• The United States has designated the Majeed Brigade as a terrorist organization, and Pakistan along with China has urged the United Nations to list the group.
• Pakistani officials say the reported death underscores militants’ use of Afghan territory, and Islamabad recently pressed the Afghan interim authorities through a diplomatic summons.