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Afghan newspapers on Sunday gave wide coverage of the death of Hakimullah Mehsud, leader of Tehrik-e- Taliban Pakistan (Pakistan Taliban movement) who was killed in a U. S. drone attack in Pakistan's tribal area of North Waziristan on Friday.
"The pursuing, precise targeting and killing Hakimullah Mehsud by the U.S. military indicates U.S. intelligence credibility and ability to target and eliminate any Taliban leader hiding in the region," the newspaper Hasht-e-Subh writes in an article.
Elimination of Hakimullah Mehsud, according to the paper, is a major setback to the Taliban militants operating on either side of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
However, it cautioned in its editorial that "the elimination of Hakimullah Mehsud would negatively affect the efforts by Islamabad for talks with the Pakistan Taliban Movement and the Pakistan Taliban would step up to avenge."
Another local newspaper the Daily Afghanistan also focused on the murder of Pakistani Taliban chief and quoted an official as terming it a big defeat to the armed outfit.
"Since Hakimullah Mehsud had close relations with Haqqani network, the military wing of Taliban in the south and southeastern region of Afghanistan, his death would undermine the activities of Haqqani network," quoting Afghan defense ministry official General Dawlat Waziri, the paper said.
Taliban militants fighting in Afghanistan, according to the English newspaper the Daily Outlook, have condemned the U.S. drone strike that killed Mehsud and expressed sympathy with his family and friends and Pakistani Taliban.
Meanwhile, it added the Afghan government-backed peace body the High Peace Council (HPC), which has been authorized to contact Taliban militants for peace in Afghanistan, expressed hope that Mehsud's death won't affect peace parleys.
Citing HPC spokesman Shahzada Shahid, the paper said "the death of Hakimullah Mehsud should not affect the peace process with Afghan Taliban."
