Battle to succeed Taliban leader

PAKISTANI authorities are increasingly convinced that the notorious head of the country’s Taliban movement was killed in a CIA missile strike, as reports emerged of an apparently bloody battle for his succession.

Claims and counterclaims about whether Baitullah Mehsud is alive or dead have swirled since Wednesday’s drone strike.

Government and intelligence officials, as well as some Taliban commanders, have said all indicators point to him being dead, but other Taliban commanders have vehemently denied that.

There were also conflicting reports that a fight had broken out between rival Taliban factions during a meeting to select Mehsud’s replacement, and one or two of the contenders had been killed or wounded.