Reports claim Hakimullah Mehsud dead

Peshawar/Islamabad, 1 Feb: Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud has died of injuries sustained in a massive US drone attack earlier this month, the state-run television and local tribal elders said yesterday, in what could be a devastating blow to the militant outfit.

However, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said he had "no verifiable information" to confirm the death.

Two tribal 'maliks' or elders of Aurakzai Agency said the 28-year-old Mehsud was dead and his funeral was held four days ago in Mamoonzai area.

The elders, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told PTI that Mehsud sustained severe injuries to his stomach and legs in the drone attack in Shaktoi area of North Waziristan Agency some days back.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief's funeral was held in secrecy at about 3 am, the tribal elders said.

The elders claimed that either commander Sajid or Syed Khan Mamozai would be named as Mehsud's successor.

Earlier in the day, state-run PTV quoted local sources in Aurakzai Agency as saying that Mehsud had died in the home of his father-in-law due to wounds sustained in the drone attack earlier this month.

The channel too reported that Mehsud was buried in Mamoonzai area. However, Interior Minister Malik told reporters that the government has "no verifiable information" to confirm Mehsud's death.

The Inter-Services Public Relations and intelligence sources too said there was no confirmation of the militant commander's death. .

"The local population and tribal elders are saying Mehsud is dead. We have no verifiable information to confirm he is dead. I am unable to officially confirm unless I have some verifiable information," Malik said.

The Interior Minister said operations by the army had broken the back of the Taliban, "hurt their capacity" and "destroyed their system and centres where they trained suicide bombers".

The army had also destroyed Taliban bases and ammunition depots, he said.

Reports have been doing the rounds, particularly in Pakistan's tribal belt, that Mehsud was seriously injured in a US drone attack in Shaktoi area of North Waziristan earlier this month.

The Taliban denied these reports and said that Mehsud was at an undisclosed location.

Mehsud was named the head of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan after his predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a US drone attack in August last year.

Malik said: "If Mehsud is dead, it is a setback (for the Taliban). There are still pockets of Taliban who are reacting, like the suicide attack in Bajaur Agency."

Malik said security forces had improved the gathering of real-time intelligence and are now capable of handling any retaliation by the militants.

Though the Taliban had approached the government several times for talks, the administration has "no intention to hold a dialogue with them unless they lay down weapons", he said.

"It has been our condition from day one, lay down your weapons and then hold talks. This is our firm resolve and wherever the writ of the government is challenged, we will take action against them. We have to free Pakistan of this cancer and we will remove it by the roots," the Minister said.


(PTI)