PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan's interior minister and a senior intelligence official say the country's Taliban chief has died.
In messages to The Associated Press on Wednesday, the officials did not provide details of how or when Hakimullah Mehsud died. But it was the first time Pakistani authorities have categorically said the militant chief is dead.
Rumors of Mehsud's death have swirled for weeks, after a spate of U.S. missiles hit his stronghold in Pakistan's northwest in mid-January. Mehsud was said to have died of wounds suffered in one of the strikes.
The Taliban have denied his death, but have failed to prove that he is alive.
The intelligence official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan's interior minister says the government is trying to confirm "credible information" that the country's Taliban's chief died from injuries sustained in a U.S. drone strike.
A senior Pakistani intelligence official also said Wednesday his agency believes Hakimullah Mehsud died following the mid-January missile attack.
Neither Interior Minister Rehman Malik nor the intelligence official provided details. The intelligence official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record.
U.S. counterterrorism officials also believe Mehsud has died. The Taliban have denied his death, but have backed away from an initial promise to prove that he is still alive.
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