Militant leader Abdullah Mehsud blew himself up to avoid arrest when law enforcement officials raided a house in southwestern Pakistan Tuesday, the country's interior ministry said.
Federal Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema Tuesday confirmed Mehsud's death.
Federal Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said that Mehsud was wanted by the government in several cases of attacks on the army, the FC armed police and police.
He was also wanted for the kidnapping and the killing of two foreign engineers working on a hydroelectric dam project in the troubled tribal region of South Waziristan in 2004.
Mehsud killed himself with a hand grenade when law enforcement officials raided the house of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) district secretary Shaikh Ayub in Ganj Mohalla in Zhob in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan.
Four men for suspected links with Taliban were arrested in the raid, according to Cheema.
Earlier, Zhob police chief Atta Mohammed said, "Mehsud blew himself up with a grenade and died when forces raided his hideout. Three of his accomplices were arrested for suspected links with Taliban."
"Thanks be to God, our men were safe," he said.
The arrested men have been shifted to an unknown place for investigations, officials said.
Noor Alam alias Abdullah Mehsud, 32, became the leader of militants based in South Waziristan in 2004, after returning from the Guantanamo Bay.
He lost one of his legs in the September 1996 landmine blast in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Source: Xinhua
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