Hakimullah Mehsud, Taliban Leader Dead or Alive?

Is Hakimullah Mehsud the leader of pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan still alive? There are conflicting reports that say he may have survived a US drone strike conducted on mid January.

Pakistan’s intelligence officials are convinced that the country’s top insurgent has been killed, although the claim is yet to be confirmed by the US.

A Pakistan intelligence intercept of a Taliban communication reporting “a new phase in our movement” is being portrayed by officials as a sign that Hakimullah Mehsud has been killed.

Mr Mehsud has been the focus of intense US and Pakistani attention because of the attacks launched by his movement in Pakistan and his association with a December bombing in Khost province in Afghanistan, in which seven CIA agents were killed.

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Press TV however, reports that Mehsud is unharmed.

Report: Mehsud safe and sound

Another militant leader, Qari Hussain, might also be alive, a senior Pakistani official speaking on condition of anonymity told Dawn News on Wednesday.

The controversy over Mehsud’s death has been going on since the January 26 drone attack in the tribal areas.

On Sunday, Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq denied the fresh reports of Mehsud’s death. He told AFP that Mehsud was “alive and safe.”

Tariq said the Taliban provide proof that Mehsud is alive; thus, those who say he is dead “should provide proof.”

However, the Pakistani government and its military were giving mixed statements about the fate of the militant leader.

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