Pakistani Taliban commander dead

October 10th, 2009 KABUL - Six Taliban militants, including a rebel commander, were killed in fighting with the security forces in Wardak province in Afghanistan, police said Saturday. The special forces backed by the international troops attacked a Taliban hideout in Chek district Friday, killing Mullah Yasin, a senior Taliban commander, along with his five associates, senior police officer General Abdul Razaq said.

October 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has said that the US and Pakistan both lost track of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden five years ago, The Dawn reports. Musharraf, who is on a lecture tour of the US currently, told students and delegates at a college in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that both Pakistani and US intelligence have failed to collect any details regarding Laden's whereabouts, and now they are even unable to ascertain whether he was dead or alive.

September 29th, 2009 KABUL - A key Taliban commander was killed in Afghanistan's Kunduz province by policemen, police said Tuesday. "Policemen shot dead Taliban key commander Mullah Rashid in Kunduz province during an operation Monday evening," said the province's Inspector General of Police Abdul Razaq Yaqubi.

September 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani security forces have nabbed a top commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Shura Nasim alias Abu Faraj from the Charbagh region in Swat. Sources said Faraj masterminded several suicide attacks which have rocked Pakistan in the recent past.

September 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A senior commander of the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been apprehended in northwest Pakistan's Swat region, media reports said Monday. According to sources, Nasim alias Abu Faraj, who masterminded many suicide attacks in the country, was arrested in an operation by Pakistani security forces, GEO News reported.

September 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani security forces believe that new Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud is dead, a media report said Wednesday. A Pakistani TV news channel quoted intelligence sources as saying that the man died some time back and it was Hakimullahs look-alike brother who spoke to news channels recently.

August 22nd, 2009 Report: Pakistani Taliban choose new leaderISLAMABAD — Leading Pakistani 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 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A Taliban leader from a Pakistan-Afghanistan border area has claimed he is now the acting chief of the Pakistani Taliban, while describing Baitullah Mehsud, who Pakistani authorities say was killed in a US drone attack Aug 5, as "seriously ill". Bajaur Agency Taliban commander Maulvi Faqir Mohammad Wednesday declared himself the acting chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), The News International reported.

July 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A suspected US missile strike on a Taliban bastion in north-western Pakistan killed at least eight militants Wednesday, an intelligence official said. Six missiles fired allegedly by US Predator drones at around 1.30 a.m.

July 3rd, 2009 LOWER DIR - Pakistani residents in the Hamza Banda area of Lower Dir district have ordered Taliban commander Mufti Aftab to leave the area immediately, a media report said Friday. The Taliban commander along with his eight aides had entered the area some days ago, the Online news agency said.

July 1st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said senior Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah has been seriously injured in fighting in the Swat Valley. In an interview with BBC, Malik said the Taliban militants are currently on the run, but the Pakistani forces will soon capture them.

June 26th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least six militants, including a Taliban commander, were killed in two separate clashes in northwest Pakistan, Geo TV said Friday. The report said the security forces bombed two Taliban hideouts Thursday in the Chapri Feroz Khel and Atman Khel areas, killing at least six militants including a local Taliban commander.

May 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani troops have killed 55 militants in various parts of Swat valley during the last 24 hours. "Fifty-five miscreants have been killed in various areas of Swat during the last 24 hours while three security forces personnel embraced martyrdom and 11 others were injured," Pakistani military said in a statement.

May 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A senior Pakistani Taliban commander Saturday surrendered to the authorities in the country's tribal region, TV reports said. Security forces Saturday surrounded the house of Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, head of the Taliban in Khyber agency, and forced him to surrender, state-run PTV said citing officials.