The BRICS TimesNoor Wali Mehsud is the leader of the TTP (Pakistani Taliban). He was born in South Waziristan in 1978. He joined the TTP in 2003 after his madrasa education. Since 2018, he has led the TTP. The US declared him a Global Terrorist. Rumors of his death in a October 9, 2025, Pakistani airstrike in Kabul were denied by the TTP.
Tension is rising between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan recently launched an airstrike in Kabul on October 9, 2025. This strike reportedly targeted Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali Mehsud. Some reports claimed he was killed. However, other sources called his death rumors false. Who exactly is Noor Wali Mehsud? Why does Pakistan want to eliminate him?
Noor Wali Mehsud’s Birth and Early Life: From a Common Boy to an Extremist
Noor Wali Mehsud was born on June 26, 1978. His birthplace was a small village in Tiarza area. This area is in South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. He belongs to the Mehsud tribe’s Machikhel sub-clan. This sub-clan is part of the Pashtun ethnic group. He started his education at Madrasa Siddiqia Uspass as a child.
He studied in various Pakistani cities during the 1990s. These cities included Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Karachi. His studies were interrupted around 1996-97. He then traveled to Afghanistan. There he fought alongside the Afghan Taliban. They were fighting against Ahmad Shah Massoud’s Northern Alliance.
He took part in battles near Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul. He returned to Pakistan on his father Haji Gul Shah Khan’s advice. He graduated in 1999. He earned a Mufti degree, which signifies an Islamic religious scholar. From 1999 to 2001, he taught Islamic theology. He worked at Madrasa Imdad-ul-Uloom in South Waziristan’s Gorgoray area.
High Position in TTP: How Did He Become the Chief?
Noor Wali joined the Mehsud branch of the TTP in 2003. Why did he join? Pakistan’s military was operating in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He saw this as a violation of Pashtunwali (Pashtun traditions). He termed it a ‘defensive jihad’ against American imperialism. He attacked the Pakistani army in the war in North-West Pakistan. This conflict started with the Battle of Wana in 2004.
He ambushed forces at Tayar Manza. He served as a Qazi (Judge) under Baitullah Mehsud. Once he even sentenced Baitullah to three days of punishment. Later, he became Baitullah’s Deputy. After Baitullah’s death, he ran a TTP training camp in Gorgoray in 2009. A Rs 2 million reward was offered for his capture at that time.
He became the head of the TTP’s Karachi chapter in 2013. Militants there engaged in extortion, kidnapping, bank robberies, and murders. Pakistani action weakened the network by 2015. He then became Deputy to Khalid Mehsud. After Khalid’s death in a 2018 drone strike, he led the Mehsud Taliban.
In February 2018, he became Maulana Fazlullah’s Deputy. Fazlullah was killed in a US drone strike in June 2018. Noor Wali was chosen as the TTP’s Amir (chief) after a week-long discussion. The TTP was weak at that point. It controlled no territory in Pakistan. Internal conflicts also existed. However, the group grew stronger under his leadership. Now it avoids targeting civilians. It focuses its attacks only on security forces.
Main Activities and Books: The Propagandist of Extremism
Noor Wali is both a religious scholar and a commander. He fought the Afghan Civil War in the 1990s. He supported the Afghan Taliban after 9/11. He claimed credit for Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in his book. He said she collaborated with America. He headed the TTP’s publication department.
In 2017, he wrote a 690-page book. The title was ‘Inqilab-e-Mehsud: South Waziristan – From Ferangi Rule to American Empire’. It detailed TTP’s history, operations, and funding. A drone strike allegedly killed him in Afghanistan in 2021. The TTP, however, rejected this rumor. The US declared him a Global Terrorist on September 10, 2019. The UN added him to its terrorist list in July 2020.
Events of 2025: Why is Pakistan Targeting Him with Airstrikes?
The TTP intensified its attacks on Pakistan from Afghanistan after 2021. Border attacks increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The TTP attacked Pakistani soldiers on October 9, 2025. Eleven soldiers were killed. In response, Pakistan launched airstrikes that day. The strikes hit Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad, and Paktika.
Blasts occurred near Abdul Haq Square in Kabul. Pakistan targeted Noor Wali Mehsud. Sources told Amu TV he was killed. But the Taliban claimed he was safe and not in Kabul. The TTP released an audio note of his voice. It confirmed that he is alive.
If he dies, it will temporarily disrupt the TTP. Tribal support, religious authority, and his unifying capacity will decrease. Yet, history shows such groups do not easily end. Baitullah, Hakimullah, and Fazlullah were killed earlier. But the TTP always returned.
Threat Remains, Peace Distant?
Noor Wali Mehsud is the face of the TTP. He is religious, strategic, and a writer. Under his leadership, the group became a major threat to Pakistan. Pakistan alleges the Afghan Taliban shelters him. His death is not confirmed yet. However, the tension has increased. Afghanistan has issued a warning to Pakistan.
