Pakistani Taliban confirm death of founder leader Faqir Muhammad’s son
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has confirmed the death of Maulvi Farid Mansoor, the son of senior leader Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, in a clash with security forces in his native Bajaur district. According to the TTP, Mansoor was killed on 27 April 2025, along with companions in an ambush by security forces in the Loi Mamund area of Bajaur.
The confirmation was made through an official video released by Umar Media, TTP’s official media wing, which featured footage of Mansoor’s militant activities, details surrounding his death, and an audio message from Faqir Muhammad addressing his son’s demise. The 6:45-minute video is the 20th episode of Umar Media’s “Rasm-e-Mohabbat” (Virtual of love) series and was released separately in Urdu and Pashto.
According to the video, 24-year-old Farid Mansoor became involved in militancy at an early age due to his affiliation with a prominent TTP family. He is described as a key planner of attacks against security forces and an expert instructor in the use of night vision laser weaponry. The video claims Mansoor had been part of a militant operational unit in Bajaur and had been injured in a attack on security forces in a nearby area a few days earlier his death. He was reportedly traveling back to militant bases with companions when he was ambushed and killed along with several others.
The video includes multiple clips of Mansoor’s militant life, filmed across various lush, mountainous terrains. It concludes with a special audio message from Faqir Muhammad to supporters, expressing sentiments over his son’s death.
Oxus Watch highlights that Faqir Muhammad is recognized as a senior and influential leader within the TTP and currently heads the group’s political commission. He served as the TTP’s founding deputy chief and was imprisoned in the U.S.-controlled Bagram prison near Kabul for eight years following his capture by Afghan forces in 2013. He was released after the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021.
This marks the second major loss for Faqir Muhammad’s family in recent months. In December 2024, his nephew Shahid Umar, who was also the deputy head of the TTP’s military commission, was killed along with associates in a mysterious attack in a border area of Afghanistan’s Kunar province, adjacent to Bajaur.
