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Topic: Hakimullah Mehsud

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Hakimullah (Hakim Ullah, Hakeemullah) Mehsud (Pashto/Urdu: حکیم‌الله محسود), born c. 1979 as Jamshed Mehsud (Pashto/Urdu: جمشید محسود) and also known as Zulfiqar Mehsud (Pashto/Urdu: ذو الفقار محسود‎), is the amir of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He was deputy to commander Baitullah Mehsud and one of the leaders of the militant group Fedayeen al-Islam prior to the elder Mehsud's death in a CIA drone missile strike. He had been the TTP's commander in the Khyber, Kurram and Orakzai agencies of Pakistan. He is described as being in his late 20s and a cousin of Qari Hussain. He is known to be a young and aggressive field commander, who previously served as a driver and was very close to Baitullah Mehsud. Reports initially indicated he was fatally wounded on January 14, 2010 by a U.S. drone attack although a video released on May 3, 2010 by the TTP proved that he survived the attack.

Hakimullah was born Jamshed Mehsud in the region of Kotkai near the town of Jandola in South Waziristan. His only schooling was at a small village madrassa in Hangu District. One of the other students at the time was Baitullah Mehsud, but he dropped out.

Jamshed Mehsud joined his clansman Baitullah in jihad, initially as his bodyguard and aide. He adopted the nom de guerre Zulfiqar, then later took the name Hakimullah, meaning one who has knowledge. He gained a reputation within the Taliban for his battle skills with the AK-47 and the Toyota pickup truck. One Taliban member told a BBC correspondent that at the time Hakimullah's reputed skills were second only to Nek Mohammad.

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It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Hakimullah Mehsud."