Pakistani Taliban Says Its Deputy Leader Was Killed in U.S. Airstrike<br />After the death of the commander Hakimullah Mehsud in a 2013 American drone attack, Mr. Sayed<br />claimed the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban, which consists of several groups.<br />American missiles struck a vehicle carrying the militant commander<br />and five of his security guards as they were entering Pakistani territory from the Afghan side, Pakistani intelligence officials said; all of the security guards were also killed in the strike.<br />13, 2018<br />ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani Taliban have confirmed the death of their deputy commander in an American drone strike in Afghanistan last week.<br />Muhammad Khurasani, a Taliban spokesman, said in a statement on Monday<br />that Mr. Sayed had been killed in a Feb. 8 drone strike in Growek region of North Waziristan, another tribal area.<br />The man announced by the Taliban as successor to Mr. Sayed is Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, who also goes by Abu Mansoor Asim.<br />Mr. Sayed was considered close to the Haqqani network, the militant group<br />that has carried out deadly attacks in Afghanistan and has been a cause of diplomatic tensions between the United States and Pakistan.
