The Pakistani Taliban has denied fresh reports that their chief, Hakimullah Mehsud, is dead, while the army said it was investigating as rumours re-emerged of his killing by US drone missiles.
Speculation about the warlord's death first surfaced after a 14 January bombing by unmanned US spy planes in the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan, but within days Mehsud released two audio statements denying his demise.
Security officials said at the time he may have been wounded, and on Sunday state television station PTV, citing unnamed sources, reported that Mehsud had been buried on Friday in the northwestern tribal district of Orakzai.
‘I don't have the confirmation, my sources have not confirmed it, whether he is dead or alive,’ chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said, adding that they were investigating the report.
Taliban spokesmen admitted this month that Hakimullah Mehsud was in the Shaktoi area where the drones hit, but said he left about an hour beforehand. US officials said they had no information about his reported death.
The chief Taliban spokesman dismissed the reports again today.
‘Hakimullah is alive and safe. The purpose of stories regarding his death is to create differences among Taliban ranks, but such people will never succeed,’ Azam Tariq said by telephone from an unknown location.
‘People who are saying that Hakimullah has died should provide proof of it -- we have already proved that he is alive and we have provided two audio tapes of him to all the media.’
Hakimullah Mehsud assumed leadership of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, blamed for the deaths of thousands of people in attacks, after previous leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike in August last year.
The TTP denied Baitullah Mehsud's death for weeks, apparently amid fierce infighting over who would succeed him.
