Taliban-linked TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud fuels border tensions

Noor Wali Mehsud is the chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a key figure behind the ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He recently denied rumors of his death after Pakistani forces launched an airstrike in Kabul on October 9, which targeted a vehicle believed to be carrying him. In a video released on October 16, Mehsud said he is alive and currently in Pakistan’s Khyber tribal district, not Afghanistan. He urged his followers to continue fighting against Pakistan’s “evil” forces.

Mehsud, 47, comes from South Waziristan in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He belongs to the Mechikhel sub-clan of the Mehsud tribe. His early years in militancy began when he fought alongside the Afghan Taliban between 1996 and 1997 in battles such as Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul. After a brief return to Pakistan in 1999, he went back to Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks in the United States. After the Taliban government fell to the US, Mehsud joined the TTP in 2003.

He rose quickly within the TTP and became a deputy to the then chief Fazal Hayat, also known as Mullah Fazlullah. After all his predecessors were eliminated by US and Pakistani forces, Mehsud became the fourth emir of the TTP in 2018. He is known not only as a militant commander but also as a writer. He has authored several books, including Inqilab-e-Mehsud (The Mehsud Revolution), a 700-page work on anti-colonial resistance against the British. Analysts credit him with reorganizing and strengthening the TTP, giving it more structure and strategy.

A theorist and battlefield commander

Experts describe Mehsud as both a “theorist” and a “battlefield commander.” He seeks to overthrow the Pakistani government, accusing it of betraying the traditions and rights of the tribal people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Analysts like Abdul Sayed, an independent expert on militancy in the region, say Mehsud wants Pakistan to adopt a system of governance similar to the Afghan Taliban.

ALSO READ: Kashmir voters face disappointment after high expectations

ALSO READ: Inflammation linked to 60% of global deaths: What you need to know

The TTP has benefited from the Taliban’s rise in Afghanistan, as it allows the group to operate more freely along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. However, the Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly denied supporting the TTP and says it seeks peace with neighboring countries. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said, “We don’t want conflict with anyone. There is peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan is not our only neighbor. We have five other neighbors … All of them are happy with us.”

Noor Wali Mehsud is considered a strategic leader who combines ideology with battlefield experience. His leadership style emphasizes both planning attacks and influencing TTP members through ideological teachings. By blending theory and practice, he has turned the TTP into a more coordinated organization.

Under Mehsud’s command, the TTP continues to carry out operations in Pakistan, including attacks on military and government targets. His calls for jihad and resistance against the Pakistani state have kept tensions high in the region, especially along the border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and South Waziristan.

The conflict has complicated relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering TTP militants, which Kabul denies. Even after a 48-hour ceasefire was signed on October 15, the region remains tense. The Pakistani airstrike targeting Mehsud in Kabul reflects Islamabad’s ongoing concern over cross-border militancy.

Mehsud’s influence extends beyond direct attacks. His writings and speeches inspire younger members of the TTP and other militant groups in the region. Analysts say his combination of military experience and ideological leadership makes him a significant figure in South Asian security concerns.

In conclusion, Noor Wali Mehsud is not just a militant leader but a thinker and strategist who shapes the TTP’s ideology and actions. His efforts to challenge the Pakistani government, combined with the Taliban’s support in Afghanistan, make him a central figure in the ongoing Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions. Despite repeated claims of his death, Mehsud remains active, continuing to lead his organization and influence militancy in the region.