A US drone strike Friday killed Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, in a major blow to the group that came after the government said it had started peace talks with the insurgents, according to intelligence officials and militant commanders.
Mehsud, who was on US most-wanted terrorist lists with a $5 million bounty, is believed to have been behind a deadly suicide attack at a CIA base in Afghanistan, a failed car bombing in New York’s Times Square and other brazen assaults in Pakistan that killed thousands of civilians and security forces.
The ruthless, 34-year-old commander who was closely allied with al-Qaida was widely reported to have been killed in 2010 — only to resurface later.
But a senior US intelligence official said Friday the US received positive confirmation that Mehsud had been killed. Two Pakistani intelligence officials also confirmed his death, as did two Taliban commanders who saw his mangled body after the strike. A third commander said the Taliban would likely choose Mehsud’s successor on Saturday.
“If true, the death of Hakimullah Mehsud will be a significant blow to the Pakistani Taliban ... , an organisation that poses a serious threat to the Pakistani people and to Americans in Pakistan,” said Michael Morell, a former acting CIA director who retired in August and has championed the drone program. His comments came in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.
National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement the White House was aware of the reports of Mehsud’s death. “If true, this would be a serious loss for the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan,” the statement said.