U.S. DRONE STRIKE ON CAR BELONING TO LEADER OF PAKISTAN TALIBAN WITH $ 5M BOUNTY ON HIS HEAD KILLS FIVE PEOPLE Hakimullah Mehsud one of those dead in blast, said intelligence sources U.S. strike reportedly came as Mehsud returned from peace talks meeting Pakistan government condemned drone strike as violation of sovereignty Taliban leader was widely reported dead in 2010 but later resurfaced He had been near top of CIA most wanted list since 2009 suicide bombing The head of the Pakistani Taliban who had a $5 million bounty on his head has been killed in an American drone strike. Hakimullah Mehsud, thought to have been behind a failed car bombing in New Yorks Times Square and several attacks inside Pakistan, is one of five believed dead in the attack this morning. The attack and his death were confirmed by senior Taliban commanders, who said they saw Mehsuds body, and U.S. and Pakistani intelligence sources. It is believed the men were killed in a U.S. drone strike on Mehsuds car in the mountainous North Waziristan region, in the north west of Pakistan. Reports said Mehsud led the violent militant group from a secret hideout in the tribal region, which is one of the Talibans main strongholds. Drones fired four missiles at a compound in Danda Darpa Khel, a village about three miles from the regional capital of Miranshah, sources said. Two of the dead reportedly included Hakimullahs personal bodyguard Tariq Mehsud and his driver Abdullah Mehsud. A senior Taliban commander said: We confirm with great sorrow that our esteemed leader was martyred in a drone attack. Mehsud took over the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban in August 2009 after his predecessor was also killed in a drone attack. Mehsud took over the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban in August 2009 after his predecessor was also killed in a drone attack. Since then he has been one of the CIAs most wanted men with a $5 million bounty on his head. He appeared in a farewell video for a Jordanian double agent whose suicide bombing killed seven CIA employees at a base in Afghanistan. The U.S. named him the self-proclaimed emir of the Pakistani Taliban and charged him with conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens abroad and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. His funeral will be held tomorrow in Miranshah, the Taliban commander said - which is likely to stir tensions further in the highly volatile region. Todays drone strike came amid peace talks between the Pakistani government and militants in the region to end years of fighting. Unconfirmed reports say the strike hit Mehsuds car as he returned from a gathering of 25 Taliban leaders to discuss the governments offer of peace. During a visit to London yesterday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who won a landslide election victory in May, said talks with the Pakistani Taliban had started. The Pakistani government was swift to condemn todays drone strike, although their statement was issued before Mehsuds death was reported. These strikes are a violation of Pakistans sovereignty and territorial integrity, said a spokesman for Pakistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The drone strikes are unpopular in Pakistan, where many people view them as an infringement on Pakistani sovereignty and say innocent civilians are killed in the process. But the Americans have had some successes - in May, a drone strike killed Mehsuds second-in-command, and one of his most trusted lieutenants was captured in Afghanistan last month. The CIA and the White House declined to comment on Mehsuds death. Although Mehsuds death will spark calls for revenge, it may make negotiations with the militants easier in the long-run, said Saifullah Mahsud, director of the Pakistani think-tank FATA Research Center. He said: Hakimullah Mehsud was a very controversial figure and he had very tough demands. Mehsud, known for his jokes and interest in modern technology, was the driver for the former head of the Pakistani Taliban before rising through the ranks. The militant leader, also known for his emotional outbursts, had two wives but moved frequently because of his fear of U.S. drone strikes. His rivalries with other Taliban commanders over the spoils from extortion and kidnapping had sharpened in recent months, it is believed, raising tensions within the armed organisation.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 20:29:12 +0000
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