Mission against Mehsud will continue, vows assassinated rival leader's successor

Islamabad, June 25 (ANI): Cracks within the Taliban are getting wider, with the younger brother of Qari Zainuddin, Misbahuddin Mehsud, vowing to continue the fight against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud until the Taliban warlord is killed.

Misbahuddin Mehsud, who was appointed the new chief of the Abdullah Group, a breakaway Taliban organization, said he would lend all support to the military operation in South Waziristan against the TTP chief to revenge Zainuddin's murder, who was apparently killed for his anti-Mehsud remarks.

He said that the killing would not 'demoralise' us or affect the group's mission, that is to eliminate Mehsud as soon as possible.

"We know who killed Zainuddin," he said.

Meanwhile, a man claiming to be a deputy of Baitullah Mehsud has claimed the responsibility for Zainuddin's murder.

The man identified as Waliur Rehman said Mehsud had ordered the killing of Zainuddin, as he defied the orders of Mehsud.

"We killed Qari Zainuddin because he was a traitor, he was killed on the orders of Baitullah," The Daily Times quoted Rehman, as saying.

"Anyone who works against us will face the same fate," he added.

In yet another sign of a rift inside the Taliban, a top commander, Tarkistan Baitni has said that the mission against Baitullah Mehsud would continue despite the killing of Zainuddin.

Addressing a gathering at Zainuddin's funeral, Baitni said differences crept-up between Mehsud and Zainuddin due to the TTP chief's decision to carry out terror strikes inside Pakistan targeting civilians.

He said Zainuddin was against carrying out attacks against own people. (ANI)