Hakeemullah dead, Jamal acting successor, claims Taliban's Orakzai faction - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Orakzai faction of the Taliban on Tuesday confirmed the death of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, who was believed to have been killed in a US drone attack earlier last month. According to sources, Hakeemullah was critically injured in the missile hit, and was taken to Karachi from South Waziristan, however, he succumbed to his injuries near Multan. However, Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq has brushed aside the report, saying Hakeemullah is all right and doing well. Mystery surrounded Hakeemulla's death since some media reports suggested that a US drone attack in terror hot bed North Waziristan had killed him. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), however, has been denying its chieftain's death ever since the missile strike and has also released two audio tapes to claim that the he was alive. The Pakistan Army said it is still investigating reports which said the extremist chieftain was killed in a US drone attack earlier this month in Taliban stronghold North Waziristan. Even as the US and Pakistani governments are still to confirm Hakeemullah's death reports indicate that the banned extremist organisation has appointed its new commander. According to The New York Times, Maulvi Noor Jamal, a native of the restive Orakzai region, has assumed charge as an acting leader of the TTP.