Islamabad, Jan 15 (IANS) Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Friday he could not confirm the death of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone attack in South Waziristan.
“We are not clear whether Hakimullah Mehsud was among those killed in a US drone strike (on Thursday) or someone who resembles him was killed,” he told reporters outside parliament.

On Thursday, there were reports that Mehsud was believed to be among the 15 militants killed in a US drone strike.

Quoting a private TV channel, Online news agency had reported that Mehsud and 14 other militants were killed when a US drone fired four Hellfire missiles at a suspected Taliban training camp at Pasalkot village in the North Waziristan Agency along the Afghan border.

The Taliban has denied that Mehsud has been killed.

On Friday, the agency said three top militant commanders - Qari Hussain, Asmatullah and Khawaja Muhammad Mehsud - were among the 10 militants killed in a US drone strike at a militants’ compound at Shaktoi village of South Waziristan on Thursday.

“At least 10 people were killed and seven others sustained serious injuries when a US drone struck at a religious seminary and adjacent house in Shaktoi village and there was different news about the death of Hakimullah Mehsud,” it added.

Hakimullah Mehsud had taken over the reins of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after its previous chief, Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike last August.

The Pakistani military is currently engaged in a major offensive against the Taliban in the neighbouring South Waziristan Agency and claims to have eliminated some 1,000 militants. The operations had begun in October 2009 after the security forces had cleared Swat and three other districts of the North West Frontier Province of the militants, killing some 1,500 guerrillas.