TTP Leader Noor Wali Mehsud Killed in Kabul Airstrike

In a significant escalation, Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was killed in a targeted airstrike in Kabul on Thursday night, according to multiple sources. Residents reported loud explosions near Abdulhaq Square in downtown Kabul, though the exact location of the strike and the party responsible for it remain unclear. The Taliban’s chief spokesman confirmed the attack and stated that an investigation has been launched to determine the details.

Noor Wali Mehsud, born on June 26, 1978, in Gurguray, South Waziristan, Pakistan, was one of Pakistan’s most wanted militant figures. He had been leading the TTP since 2018, following the death of his predecessor, Mullah Fazlullah. Mehsud was the group’s fourth leader and had a long history of involvement in militant activities.

Mehsud originally joined the Mehsud Taliban in 2003, a jihadi faction that emerged in Pakistan’s tribal region during the Taliban regime. The group was later absorbed into the TTP in 2007 under Baitullah Mehsud. By 2013, Noor Wali Mehsud had risen through the ranks to oversee TTP operations in Karachi, where he commanded a network involved in extortion and kidnappings to finance militant activities across Pakistan. Operating from Miram Shah in North Waziristan, he reportedly ordered Pashtuns in Karachi to settle business disputes through Taliban courts under his authority, with those refusing facing violent retribution.

The TTP leader was believed to have lived between Pakistan and Afghanistan and held Pakistani citizenship. His death marks a significant blow to the militant group, which has been accused of using Afghan territory for cross-border attacks into Pakistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of allowing TTP fighters to operate from Afghan soil, a charge the Taliban deny.

The airstrike comes at a sensitive time, as Taliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is in India for high-level talks on bilateral relations and regional security. This is Muttaqi’s first official visit to India since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. Both India and Pakistan have expressed concerns over militant activity in Afghanistan, with Islamabad particularly vocal about the TTP’s presence across the border.