Islamabad, August 08: Spokesman of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Hakimullah Mehsud and another Taliban leader Wali-ur-Rehman have been killed in an armed clash erupted during the Tehreek’s Shura meeting, according to media reports.
Amidst reports of Baitullah Mehsud’s death the Pakistani government had received reports that shooting broke out between two rivals for the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban.
‘The infighting was between Wali-ur-Rehman and Hakimullah Mehsud, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said. “We have information that one of them has been killed. Who was killed we will be able to say later after confirming.”
Pakistani news channels were carrying unconfirmed reports that Hakimullah Mehsud had been killed at the meeting to decide who would succeed slain leader Baitullah Mehsud in Waziristan, a northwest tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
Earlier, a deputy to Baitullah Mehsud claimed that the Pakistani Taliban chief was not killed by a CIA missile strike, contradicting another aide who confirmed Mehsud’s death a day earlier.
His claim, reported widely by Pakistani media, flies in the face of growing confidence among US and Pakistani officials that Mehsud died, and it could be a tactical manoeuvre aimed at delaying a decision on who will succeed Mehsud.
Pakistani intelligence officials acknowledged on Saturday that the missile strike said to have killed the Taliban chief was carried out with Islamabad’s help, indicating growing coordination between the two countries despite Pakistan’s official disapproval of the strikes.
The deputy stating that Mehsud is alive, Hakimullah, is one of the potential successors to lead the militant group. He made the comments in phone calls to several news organisations. However, he could not provide evidence that the militant chief is still alive.
Intelligence agents said it appears likely that Hakimullah may be passed over for the top position in favour of another Mehsud aide, Waliur Rehman.
According to the latest news report, Hakimullah said “some outside power” was spreading rumours of Mehsud’s death in the press as a means of trying to get him to come forward — thus becoming a target for a missile.
Hakimullah said the Taliban would present some proof of Mehsud’s continued existence in the coming days.
Asked why he did not refute the reports of Mehsud’s death earlier in the week, the militant did not answer.
Mehsud’s aide Kafayat Ullah said a day earlier that Mehsud was killed with one of his two wives on Wednesday in his stronghold in the South Waziristan tribal region.
“I confirm that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife died in the American missile attack in South Waziristan,” Taliban commander Kafayat Ullah said by telephone.
–Agencies–