The chief of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) appeared in a new video on Thursday to deny reports of his death, a week after Pakistani security officials claimed he had been killed in an airstrike in Kabul, sparking one of the most serious escalations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years.
In the footage, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud is seen surrounded by armed fighters, addressing both his followers and Pakistani authorities. He said the video was intended to “refute false propaganda” about his killing and to assure supporters of his safety.
“I am alive and present on my tribal and honourable homeland,” Mehsud said. “I assure all my companions that there is no cause for concern. Do not believe the false propaganda of the Pakistani government.”
The video, circulated on social media by TTP-linked accounts, shows Mehsud speaking from an undisclosed location, calling on his followers to “stand firm and resist the corrupt and oppressive forces of the Pakistani system.”
He also accused Pakistan’s military establishment of repeatedly attempting to link its opponents to India or Afghanistan, describing it as “a sign of weakness, hypocrisy, and cowardice.”
The release of the footage comes days after Pakistani government and military sources claimed that Mehsud had been killed on 9 October in an airstrike on a black Land Cruiser in Kabul.