Accessibility links

Breaking News

Pakistan Taliban Spokesman Denies Leader Is Dead


Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud
Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud
A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Asimullah Mehsud, has denied allegations that the group’s leader was killed in a recent U.S. drone strike.

Reuters and The Associated Press news agencies quoted unidentified Pakistan intelligence officials as saying they had intercepted a number of radio conversations between Taliban fighters detailing how Hakimullah Mehsud was killed on January 12 in the North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border.

Pakistani officials first said they believed a U.S. drone aircraft attack had killed Mehsud in early 2010.

His predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, had been killed in a drone strike in 2009.

compiled from agency reports

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG