On October 15, 2010, several reports came out indicating that Qari Hussain was killed in an American drone strike. Geo TV said that he and five Turks were killed on October 2 in the Dattakhel area.[21] The Press Trust of India stated that he and three others were killed on October 7 outside of Miranshah in Jungle Khel.[22] While Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq denied these reports were true, Qari Hussein never contacted media to confirm his survival.[23] On October 26, a senior Taliban operative as well as a counter terrorism expert contacted the Asia Times confirming that Mehsud was killed on October 7 in the sub-district of Khushali in Mirali.[24]