Pakistani Taleban chief killed in drone strike

Hakimullah Mehsud was one of Pakistan's most wanted men with a $5 million US bounty on his head. He led an increasingly violent insurgency from a secret hideout in North Waziristan, the Taleban's mountainous stronghold on the Afghan border.

"We confirm that our esteemed leader was martyred in a drone attack," a senior Taleban commander said.
Mehsud's funeral will be held on Saturday in Miranshah, the Taleban commander said.

Several intelligence, army and Taleban sources across Pakistan confirmed Mehsud, believed to be in his mid-30s, had been killed in the drone strike in North Waziristan.

Mehsud took over the Pakistani Taleban in August 2009 after a drone strike killed the previous leader, his mentor. His Pakistani Taleban acts as an umbrella for various insurgent groups who are separate to but allied to the Afghan Taleban.

Four security officials confirmed his death to Reuters. His bodyguard and driver were also killed, they said.
"Among the dead are Hakimullah's personal bodyguard Tariq Mehsud and his driver Abdullah Mehsud, two of his closest people," said one intelligence source.

The government issued its usual statement denouncing the drone strike but did not comment on reports of Mehsud's death, Kazinform cites the Arab News.

Drones fired four missiles at a compound in Danda Darpa Khel, a village about 5 km from the regional capital of Miranshah, killing at least four people, sources said.

Mehsud was killed after attending a gathering of 25 Taleban leaders gathering to discuss the government's offer of talks, they said.

Saifullah Mahsud, director of the Pakistani think-tank FATA Research Center, said the strike did not signal the end of the Pakistani Taleban.

"It's a very decentralized organization. They've lost leaders to drone strikes before."