Anyone killed in US drone attacks is a martyr: Fazlur Rehman

Lahore, Aug 8 (ANI): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman has said that Baitullah Mehsud had been 'martyred' in the US drone attack, and added that he termed anyone killed in a US attack a 'martyr'.

Rehman said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl did not support US action in Pakistan.

The fate of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) following the demise of Baitullah Mehsud is uncertain, Rehman told a private TV channel on Friday.

Replying to a question, he said he was unaware of how the TTP would react to the death of their leader.

Rehman also said that he could not predict the impact the death of Mehsud might have on Pakistan.

A close aide of Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud confirmed on Friday that the latter has been killed in a U.S. missile strike.

"I confirm that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife died in the American missile attack in South Waziristan," Kafayat Ullah told The Associated Press by telephone. He would not give any further details.

Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said that country's intelligence sources have confirmed the killing of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud.

Xinhua quoted Qureshi, as saying that the government is still in the process of ground verification of the death of Pakistan's enemy number one.

Earlier in the day, tribal sources had confirmed that Mehsud had been killed in a drone strike.

According to sources, the Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer) for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief was held in a tribal village, and the Taliban group would elect his successor on Friday. (ANI)