On October 9, 2025, Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Kabul, Afghanistan, reportedly killing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali Mehsud and potential successors Qari Saifullah Mehsud and Khalid Mehsud.
Multiple sources, including Amu TV and Zee News, confirmed the deaths, marking a major blow to the militant group. The strikes targeted TTP compounds, with explosions reported in Kabul’s eastern District 8 and other areas.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged the attacks but provided no casualty details, stating an investigation is underway. Eyewitnesses described chaos from fighter jets and multiple explosions, with social media posts claiming precision hits on vehicles and buildings.
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TTP Chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud killed in suspected “air strike” in Kabul according to this audio, but TTP sources so far denying his killing! pic.twitter.com/WMVeO7EeOr
— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) October 9, 2025Who Was Noor Wali Mehsud?
Born on June 26, 1978, in Tiarza, South Waziristan, Noor Wali Mehsud (alias Abu Mansoor Asim) hailed from the Mehsud tribe. He received religious education at Madrassa Siddiqa and seminaries in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Karachi. By 1999, he taught locally before joining Taliban networks post-2001 US invasion.
Mehsud rose as a TTP Qazi (religious judge) and led Karachi operations from 2013 to 2015. After Khalid Mehsud’s death, he commanded the Mehsud faction. In June 2018, he succeeded Mullah Fazlullah as TTP chief, reorganizing splinter groups like TTP Swat and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. The UN lists him as a global terrorist. His book, Inqilab-e-Mehsud, outlines TTP’s ideology.
🚨 BREAKING: TTP's Noor Wali Mehsud along with Qari Saifullah Mehsud and Khalid Mehsud, potential successors, reportedly killed in Kabul strikes. pic.twitter.com/82lJQquktI
— M. Munib Hamid (@MunibHamidpk) October 9, 2025The Kabul Strikes: Escalation in Cross-Border Tensions
The operation, reportedly using Pakistani drones, hit four Kabul sites amid Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s India visit. Analysts suggest internal Taliban rifts exposed Mehsud’s location, enabling the precision strike. Social media and eyewitnesses confirmed jets and explosions, with unverified posts claiming the TTP headquarters were targeted.
This marks a bold escalation, punishing the Taliban for harbouring TTP militants. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of sheltering TTP, fueling cross-border attacks.
Mehsud’s death disrupts TTP’s command, potentially triggering retaliation or internal power struggles. As a key figure in TTP’s resurgence, his loss could weaken operations, but successors like Qari Saifullah and Khalid Mehsud were also hit. The strikes, occurring during Muttaqi’s India trip, strain Taliban-Pakistan ties.
The Kabul operation highlights Pakistan’s aggressive counter-terrorism stance, risking Afghan retaliation. It could reshape militant dynamics in the region.
