Tehreek-e-Taliban leader killed in US drone strike, says spokesman

The leader of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban(TTP) Sheharyar Mehsud has been killed in a US a drone strike in Afghanistan, the Taliban said.

“We confirm the killing of our deputy leader, Khalid Mehsud in a US drone strike in Gorveek area of North Waziristan. Besides the deputy head of Pakistani Taliban, he was also the central leader of Taliban in South Waziristan tribal region,” Taliban spokesman Mohammad Khurasani said.

“The slain militant commander had actively participated in the fight against the Pakistani security forces and like his predecessors finally died in US drone strike,” the Tehreek-e-Taliban spokesman said.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban had earlier announced Sheikh Khalid Haqqani, who was the terrorist group's deputy leader was killed January 31.

In 2018, a US drone strike had killed Maulana Fazlullah in Afghanistan, the US, however, is yet to issue a statement on the reported drone strike which killed the Tehreek-e-Taliban leader.

Last month, a US airstrike had killed Taliban splinter group commander Mullah Nangyalay in Afghanistan's Shindand district. After the incident, a spokesman for the US forces in Afghanistan had said it had launched "a defensive airstrike in support of Afghan forces".