ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, has denied reports of his death.
In a video message, he said he was currently in the Khyber tribal region of Pakistan.
These are areas belonging to the Kuki Khel and Qambar Khel tribes, controlled by his group.
The video, which was broadcast by the movement’s media arms on social media, shows the leader in a mountainous area.
Pointing to what he said were Pakistani military positions on a nearby mountaintop.
air raid
A week ago, the Pakistani armed forces announced the killing of the leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Noor Wali Mehsud was killed in a drone strike in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
An official statement issued by the Pakistani army said that the air operation was carried out two days ago,
Drones
In a related development, Afghan media outlets, citing Taliban sources,
reported that Taliban forces used drones to attack a Pakistani border checkpoint.
The movement’s Al-Marsad Intelligence Foundation released a video of the drone attack.
A Pakistani security source said that the Pakistani Taliban also used the drone.
This is the first time Taliban intelligence has claimed to have used drones in a war outside Afghanistan.
Close relationships
It is also not yet clear which country supplied the Taliban with the military drones.
Taliban has close ties with the Islamic Republic, one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of drones in the region.
Both sides declared a temporary ceasefire, after four days of mutual military escalation on the border between the two countries.
Which resulted in the killing of 18 people and the injury of more than 360 others, according to what was announced by the United Nations.
cease-fire
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan welcomed the decision,
“We welcome the cease fire announced between Afghanistan and Pakistan
and call for a permanent end to hostilities,” she said.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Afghan government,
announced that his government had decided to begin the ceasefire at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Kabul time).
Explaining that the move came in response to “the request and insistence of the Pakistani side.”
Fatrat affirmed that the Afghan government is committed to the ceasefire, but made its continuation conditional on Pakistan not breaching the ceasefire.
