Islamabad: Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday confirmed that its chief Hakimullah Mehsud had died of
injuries sustained in a US drone strike, ending weeks of
speculation over his fate.
Taliban sources based in the Aurakzai tribal region
told TV news channels that 28-year-old Mehsud was severely
injured in a drone attack in Shaktoi area of North Waziristan
Agency on January 14.
The sources claimed Mehsud died recently near Multan
city in Punjab province while being taken to Karachi for
treatment. His body was taken back to the tribal belt, they
said.
However, there were also reports that Mehsud had died
almost two weeks ago and was buried in his father-in-law's
village in Aurakzai Agency.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Azam Tariq is yet
to issue statement about Mehsud's death. Tariq has been
insisting that Mehsud is alive and at an undisclosed location.
The Taliban sources also said commander Noor Jamal
alias Maulana Toofan had been named as the new chief of the
Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistani and US security officials had been saying
for the past two weeks that they were certain Mehsud had died
of injuries sustained in a US drone attack.
Shortly after reports of Mehsud's death first emerged
in mid-January, the Taliban issued two audio messages in which
the dreaded commander claimed he was alive.
The US stepped up drone attacks targeting Mehsud after
he was shown in a video with a Jordanian suicide bomber who
killed seven CIA operatives in an attack on a forward base in
Khost province of Afghanistan.
Mehsud was born in Kotkai village of South Waziristan
Agency and was educated in a seminary.
He fought against US forces in Afghanistan after the
Taliban regime in Kabul was ousted in the wake of the 9/11
terror attacks.
Hakimullah later rose to prominence as the commander
of thousands of Taliban fighters in the Kurram, Aurakzai and
Khyber tribal regions.
He also imposed 'jiziya' on members of the minority
Sikh community in the tribal belt.
Mehsud, who claimed responsibility for several
audacious suicide attacks, including one on the five-star
Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar, was made chief of the
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan after his predecessor Baitullah
Mehsud was killed in a drone attack in August last year.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010, 13:16