Haqqani Network senior leader killed in Pakistan

A senior leader of the Haqqani Network, an insurgent group that’s fought U.S. troops in Afghanistan, was shot dead on the outskirts of Islamabad on Sunday.

Members of the Haqqani Network confirmed the death of Nasiruddin Haqqani to The Associated Press.

{mosads}Witnesses said the militant leader was shot dead when he stopped to buy bread at a bakery on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital.

His death is a significant blow to the Haqqani Network, which has been one of the most dangerous insurgent groups fighting against U.S. and Afghan troops in Afghanistan.

The Haqqani Network has been a sore spot in relations between the United States and Pakistan, as U.S officials have accused the Pakistani intelligence agency of aiding the militant group. Pakistan denies the charge.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The AP reported that Haqqani was killed by gunmen on motorcycles, who shot him outside a bakery in a residential area called Bara Kahu, according to witness Tanveer Ahmed.

“When we reached the spot, some people were shouting, and we saw a vehicle and an injured man lying there where you can see blood on the ground,” Ahmed said.

Haqqani’s body was taken to Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal area, where the Haqqani Network operates from, and he was buried on Monday.

His death comes two weeks after the head of the Pakistani Taliban was killed in a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan.