A spokesman for the Taleban in Pakistan has denied media reports that leading militant Baitullah Mehsud has died of an illness.
The spokesman, Maulvi Umar, told the BBC that Mr Mehsud was "fit and well".
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Mr Mehsud was accused of masterminding the killing of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December. He has consistently denied involvement.
Rumours of the militant's death have also been denied by his doctor, Eisa Khan.
"I spoke to him today at 9am on the telephone, and he told me that he is surprised over rumours about his death," Mr Khan told the Associatied Press news agency.
Unnamed Pakistani officials have said that Mr Mehsud, head of the Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP), is seriously ill with diabetes and may even be in a coma.
"Baitullah is sick. His condition is precarious," a senior Pakistani security official told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.
Mr Mehsud was recently named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. Newsweek has called him "more dangerous than Osama Bin Laden".
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf accused him last year of being responsible for dozens of suicide attacks which led Pakistan into emergency rule.
(BBC)
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