Taliban commander says Baitullah alive, wants new TTP chief

September 17th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Two out of the six family members of the killed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, who were kidnapped by the Taliban for spying on their chief, have died. Sources said Mehsud's in laws were subjected to brutal torture in custody by the Taliban.

September 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Newly appointed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud has already been killed and it was his look-alike brother who gave an interview to the BCC some days ago, Pakistani security forces said. According to a private television channel, Hakimullah's look-alike brother was specially summoned from Afghanistan to Pakistan, while the decision to appoint their new chief was being taken by the Taliban after Baitullah Mehsud's death in a US drone attack last month.

August 25th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Interior Advisor Rehman Malik has rejected reports about Hakeemullah Mehsud being appointed as the new chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In an interview with the state television, Malik said reports about Hakeemullah taking over the TTP's command were merely 'speculations'.

August 24th, 2009 WANA - A commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Monday said his organisation will select a new chief in the next five days according to the instruction of their leader Baitullah Mehsud, a media report said. Waliur Rehman, commander of the group in South Waziristan, said: We have thousands of suicide attackers, who can destroy their (government) targets anywhere.

August 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has declared Hakeemullah Mehsud as the successor to Baitullah Mehsud. TTP spokesman Maulvi Faqir Muhammad announced Hakeemullah's appointment while claiming that Baitullah was alive, the News reports.

August 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A 42-member tribal gathering Saturday appointed Hakimullah Mehsud as the new head of the Pakistani Taliban though the group insists its previous head Baitullah Mehsud is still alive. Talking to BBC from an unknown location, acting TTP head Moulvi Faqir Muhammad categorically refuted reports that Baitullah Mehsud had been killed in a US drone attack last week.

August 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A Taliban leader from a Pakistan-Afghanistan border area has claimed he is now the acting chief of the Pakistani Taliban, while describing Baitullah Mehsud, who Pakistani authorities say was killed in a US drone attack Aug 5, as "seriously ill". Bajaur Agency Taliban commander Maulvi Faqir Mohammad Wednesday declared himself the acting chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), The News International reported.

August 20th, 2009 PESHAWAR - A top Taliban commander, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, has claimed that he has taken charge of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but rejected reports about Baitullah Mehsud's death. uhammad claimed that Taliban elders had held a meeting recently in which it was decided to make him the 'acting' leader of the group.

August 11th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Pakistan Government's claims about the killing of the top Taliban leadership were laid bare when Baitullah Mehsud's close aide Hakimullah Mehsud, who was declared dead in an intra-group clash, himself told the media he was alive. "Look, I am here, safe and sound," Hakimullah, 30, said in a telephone call to journalists from an undisclosed location.

August 11th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has still not confirmed the death of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, as it lacks credible evidence. Interior Advisor Rehman Malik said news about Mehsud's death would be confirmed by the government once it gets 'solid evidence' in this regard.

August 10th, 2009 WANA - Militant commander Hakeemullah Mehsud said that no scuffle occurred between him and Waliur Rehman. Talking to Geo News, Hakeemullah said he is quite safe, hale and hearty.

August 10th, 2009 KABUL - General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of American troops in Afghanistan has warned that the reported death of Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud could mean more trouble for Afghanistan in the immediate future. "Baitullah Mehsud was putting such pressure on the government of Pakistan that I don't know if his successor or successors will do the same.

August 10th, 2009 WANA (NWFP, Pakistan), - An aide to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud, Maulana Noor Saeed, has rubbished reports of him being killed by a US drone strike last Wednesday, and said that he is alive, but ill. Saeed was quoted by the BBC, as saying that Baitullah will issue a video message some time on Monday to quash speculations regarding his demise.

August 10th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Adviser on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik, has challenged the Taliban to prove that its leaders are still alive, in the wake of reports that Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud have been killed. Malik is reported to have told the BBC that "physical evidence" showed that Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud had been killed in a US missile attack on Wednesday and added that intelligence reports have suggested that a potential successor was later killed in a shootout.

August 9th, 2009 LONDON - Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has challenged the Taliban to prove that their top leaders-Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud-are still alive. "If Baitullah Mehsud is alive, or Hakimullah is alive, why don't they bring out a video.