Is Hakimullah Mehsud dead?

October 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The new Pakistani Taliban chief has met journalists in Pakistan's lawless tribal district of South Waziristan to refute claims by Pakistani and US officials that he might have died. Hakimullah Mehsud allowed five reporters to interview him in the remote, mountainous district Sunday on the condition that it would be reported only Monday.

October 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's new Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud has met journalists, ending speculation about his death, and vowed to avenge drone attacks and the killing of his predecessor Baitullah Mehsud. Hakimullah Mehsud met reporters Sunday in the country's tribal area for the first time since gaining control over the militant outfit, Dawn reported Monday.

October 5th, 2009 SARAROGHA - Newly appointed Pak-Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud met with reporters in Pakistan's tribal areas, ending speculations on his death. Mehsud, surrounded by other Taliban commanders in a show of unity, spoke to a small group of reporters on Sunday on condition the interview only be published on Monday, The Dawn reports.

October 3rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - US intelligence agencies believe the newly named leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, Hakimullah Mehsud, might have been killed in a gunfight with a rival faction weeks ago. Militants tapped Hakimullah to replace the group's previous leader, Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed by a missile fired from a CIA-piloted drone aircraft in his South Waziristan stronghold on the Afghan border Aug 5.

September 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Newly appointed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud has already been killed and it was his look-alike brother who gave an interview to the BCC some days ago, Pakistani security forces said. According to a private television channel, Hakimullah's look-alike brother was specially summoned from Afghanistan to Pakistan, while the decision to appoint their new chief was being taken by the Taliban after Baitullah Mehsud's death in a US drone attack last month.

August 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani intelligence agencies believe the new Taliban chief named by the militant group Saturday is a look alike brother of Hakimullah Mehsud and not the real one, the Online news agency reported. Taliban in order to save their image are giving the impression that Hakimullah Mehsud is alive, while the truth is the man, also called by the same name, who has been selected as the new chief of Teherik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is his look alike brother, the report said citing intelligence sources.

August 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A 42-member tribal gathering Saturday appointed Hakimullah Mehsud as the new head of the Pakistani Taliban though the group insists its previous head Baitullah Mehsud is still alive. Talking to BBC from an unknown location, acting TTP head Moulvi Faqir Muhammad categorically refuted reports that Baitullah Mehsud had been killed in a US drone attack last week.

August 22nd, 2009 Report: Hakimullah new head of Pakistani TalibanISLAMABAD — Leading Pakistan Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud has been appointed the new head of the militant group, media reports said Saturday, weeks after Washington and Islamabad said the militants' chief, Baitullah Mehsud, was almost certainly killed by a missile strike. Maulvi Faqir Mohammad told the BBC's Urdu service that a 42-member Taliban council, or shura, appointed a new head because Baitullah was ill.

August 22nd, 2009 Pakistani Taliban say new leader chosenKHAR, Pakistan — Hakimullah Mehsud, a Pakistani Taliban commander behind several serious attacks including a deadly attempt to take the Sri Lankan cricket team hostage, has been appointed the new head of the militant group, the aide to another commander said Saturday. Bakht Zada, a close aide to commander Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, told The Associated Press a 42-member Taliban council, or shura, appointed a new head because Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was ill.

August 11th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has still not confirmed the death of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, as it lacks credible evidence. Interior Advisor Rehman Malik said news about Mehsud's death would be confirmed by the government once it gets 'solid evidence' in this regard.

August 11th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Pakistan Government's claims about the killing of the top Taliban leadership were laid bare when Baitullah Mehsud's close aide Hakimullah Mehsud, who was declared dead in an intra-group clash, himself told the media he was alive. "Look, I am here, safe and sound," Hakimullah, 30, said in a telephone call to journalists from an undisclosed location.

August 9th, 2009 LONDON - Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has challenged the Taliban to prove that their top leaders-Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud-are still alive. "If Baitullah Mehsud is alive, or Hakimullah is alive, why don't they bring out a video.

August 8th, 2009 LONDON - A lieutenant of Pakistan's enemy no. 1 Baitullah Mehsud on Saturday rejected reports of the Pak-Taliban chief's death in a US drone strike.

June 28th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Government has revised the bounty on the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud increasing it to a whopping 50 million rupees. In its latest advertisement, the government has announced a reward of 50 million rupees for the arrest (dead or alive) of Mehsud, besides announcing rewards on 11 other most wanted militants in the country.

April 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least twenty militants were reportedly killed in an offensive launched by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the Orakzai region of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Pakistan military officials have claimed. According to the Dawn, PAF jets and helicopter gunships launched an attack targeting a close aide of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, Hakimullah Mehsud, who had claimed the responsibility for a suicide car-bomb attack on a security convoy in which 25 security personnel were killed near Kohat town of the agency.