Who is Noor Wali Mehsud, the man who orchestrated recent deadly attacks against Pakistan?
Noor Wali Mehsud, TTP chief, is being blamed for escalating deadly attacks on Pakistani soil. Operating from Afghanistan, Mehsud rebuilt the militant group, becoming a key source of Pakistan-Afghan tension. Recently targeted in Kabul, his leadership blends ideological justification with Pashtun nationalism. The TTP has claimed over 1,000 attacks on Pakistan, targeting both civilians and security forces.
New Delhi: There has been a temporary truce between Pakistan and Afghanistan after the two neighbours fought a deadly battle recently, claiming lives of many soldiers and civilians on both sides.
Amid the pause in clashes, a man has emerged as the most notorious figure driving the recent spike in deadly attacks on Pakistani soil. He is Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan blames Mehsud for orchestrating the attacks. Mehsud remains in Afghanistan, reportedly living openly with his top lieutenants.
Who is Noor Wali Mehsud?
Mehsud reportedly has been operating from Afghanistan and rebuilt and united the militant group, while turning it into an ideologically driven force. His presence across the border has become a major source of tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Last week, Mehsud was targeted in an airstrike in Kabul. It is still not known if Mehsud, who was travelling in a convoy, survived the attack — the first of its kind in Kabul since 2022. After the attack, Mehsud appeared in a purported video, alleging that Pakistan was running a "deliberate disinformation campaign".
Since 2018, Mehsud has been the TTP’s chief. He was born on June 26, 1978 in South Waziristan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He went to several madrassas during his childhood.
Mehsud actively joined in the campaigns carried out by the Afghan Taliban during the 1990s. In 2001, he reportedly returned to Pakistan following the US invasion of Afghanistan. He has assumed several key roles in TTP, including leading operations in Karachi and overseeing its media wing.
In June 2018, US launched a drone strike in which Mullah Fazlullah was killed. After this, Mehsud took over as TTP chief. Before he took charge, the TTP had shifted its base to Afghanistan because of the Pakistani Army's crackdown.
Mehsud reportedly united TTP into a stronger, more cohesive group and brought rival factions together while implementing a coordinated joint strategy.
In 2022, the US designated him as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’. The United Nations has also put him on the ISIL / Al‑Qaida sanctions list.
Mehsud has authored three books, including a 700-page work that links TTP's insurgency to the historical struggle against British colonial rule. Mehsud blends religious justification with nationalist ideology. Mehsud reportedly contends that he represents the Pashtun ethnic group staying in northwest Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan. He claims to fight for the rights of Pashtun tribespeople.
1,000 attacks in 10 years
The TTP has claimed responsibility for numerous deadly attacks across Pakistan, including a July 2019 attack on security forces in North Waziristan and a bomb attack on soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in August 2019. In the last 10 years, the TTP is believed to have carried out over 1,000 attacks on Pakistan soil.
In the past, the TTP has targeted civilians, attacking mosques and markets, including a 2014 school assault that claimed lives of more than 130 children.