Rival to Taliban commander Mehsud killed

By Alamgir Bitani
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - An unidentified gunman killed a rival of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud on Tuesday, police said, dealing a potential blow to a government plan to defeat al Qaeda ally Mehsud.
The murder came as the military prepares an offensive against Mehsud, who has been accused of a string of bomb attacks including the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.
Separately, a U.S. drone aircraft fired a missile into a Mehsud stronghold in South Waziristan, near the Afghan border, killing six fighters, intelligence officials and a resident said.
The murdered militant commander, known as Qari Zainuddin, had recently spoken out strongly against Mehsud and may have been about to mount a challenge against him. He was killed in the northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan, police said.
"I confirm that Qari Zainuddin has been shot dead," Salahuddin, superintendent of police in the town, told Reuters.
The gunman, who also wounded another man, escaped, security officials said.
Militants are split into several factions in northwest Pakistan, some of which are rivals.
The military went on the offensive against Taliban fighters allied with Mehsud in the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad, in early May and they are in the final phase of that operation, the army has said.
The offensive in Swat came after Taliban gains raised fears for the future of nuclear-armed Pakistan, a vital ally for the United States as it strives to defeat al Qaeda and stabilize Afghanistan.
The government has also ordered an offensive against Mehsud in his South Waziristan stronghold near the Afghan border.
In recent days, the military has been launching air strikes on Mehsud's bases while soldiers have been securing the main road into the mountainous region populated by ethnic Pashtun tribes.
The United States has offered a reward of $5 million for information leading to Mehsud's location or arrest.
Tuesday's drone strike, the latest in a string of such attacks, was near the Mehsud stronghold of Makeen.
"They targeted newly built bunkers," said a resident, Mohammad Daud.
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Source: Reuters