Who is Noor Wali Mehsud? Elusive TTP chief who SHOCKED Pakistan after appearing alive on TV after surviving suspected airstrike

A week after Pakistan’s suspected airstrike, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Noor Wali Mehsud appeared alive in a new video released on Thursday. His appearance has once again increased tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, two countries that have had troubled relations for years. TTP is a designated terrorist organisation banned in Pakistan, the US and several other countries.

The October 9 airstrike in Kabul targeted an armored vehicle believed to be carrying Mehsud. After the attack, both sides exchanged cross-border firing and airstrikes.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of giving shelter to TTP leaders, who often carry out attacks on Pakistani security forces. In the video, Mehsud said that “Jihad gives nations freedom and respect, otherwise they stay enslaved,” and denied reports of his death, calling them false and made-up.

Who is Noor Wali Mehsud?

Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, born June 26, 1978, in South Waziristan, is an Islamic scholar and the supreme commander of  TTP. Educated in Islamic law at madrassas, he fought alongside the Afghan Taliban in the 1990s before joining TTP, where he served as a judge, Karachi commander, and deputy chief.

He became the TTP leader in 2018 after the death of Mullah Fazlullah in a US drone strike. Mehsud reunited the group’s fragmented factions and shifted its strategy from civilian to military and security force targets, strengthening its operations.

His 700-page book, Inquilab-e-Mehsud, reportedly claims responsibility for Benazir Bhutto’s 2007 assassination. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Mehsud’s group has gained new strength and resources, escalating cross-border attacks.

Today, Noor Wali Mehsud remains one of Pakistan’s most wanted terrorists, accused of masterminding hundreds of attacks and leading militant operations across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Growing tension between Islamabad and Kabul

Afghan officials rejected Pakistan’s allegations, countering that Islamabad indirectly supports groups like ISIS-K (Islamic State Khorasan Province). The recent strike is reportedly Pakistan’s first air operation in Kabul since 2022. The last major attack in the Afghan capital was a US drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Intense border clashes on Wednesday shattered the fragile peace, killing dozens. Analysts say this marks the most serious conflict between the two Islamic nations since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

On the same day, Pakistan also carried out an airstrike in Spin Boldak, Kandahar province. Pakistani officials claimed the target was an Afghan Taliban brigade, resulting in several deaths, though the reports remain unverified. The Pakistan Army stated it would take all necessary steps to protect its citizens, while Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry warned that Pakistan would be held responsible for any consequences.