New taliban leader may have been killed in inter taliban fighting

Reports out of Pakistan suggest that the recently appointed taliban leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, may have been killed in inter taliban clashes.

Hope these reports are true. Ever since we killed the taliban's previous leader, Baitullah Mehsud, various taliban factions have been fighting amongst themselves for control of the terrorist group. If so, then the predator strike that killed Baitullah Mehsud is still paying dividends. AFP

WASHINGTON — Newly anointed Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud may have been killed recently during clashes with a rival faction, a senior US counterterrorism official said Saturday.

"There's reason to believe that Hakimullah may have died recently -- perhaps as the result of factional in-fighting within the Pakistani Taliban," the official told AFP.[...]

Hakimullah, who is believed to be about 30, was tapped to lead the feared Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after his predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed by a missile fired from a CIA-operated drone aircraft on August 5.

Hakimullah's brother, Kalimullah Mehsud, was also killed on Monday in a battle in the lawless insurgent stronghold of North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan, Pakistani security officials said.