At least five Pakistani Taliban militants, including a key commander, were today killed in an ambush by a rival faction in the country's restive northwest tribal region, indicating intense rivalry within the banned outfit.
Unidentified gunmen opened fire at a vehicle in which the militants, owing allegiance to slain Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud, were travelling in the South Waziristan Agency, near the Afghan border, officials said.
According to sources, the clash broke out between the Khan Said alias Sajna and Waliur Rehman groups of the TTP near Shaktoi area in which five militants were killed and another injured.
Those killed included Kashed Khan Mehsud, a local commander of the Hakimullah Mehsud group, and other TTP fighters.
The reason for the clashes was unclear. The assailants managed to flee the scene after the attack, the officials said.
The TTP, an umbrella organisation of over 40 militant groups, has long been riven by infighting since its formation in 2007.
Sajna, head of his own faction, was a strong candidate to become TTP chief following Mehsud's death.
But the banned group's 'shura' elected Mullah Fazlullah, who hails from Swat and is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan.
The incident came when government and Taliban negotiators were gearing up for the next phase of dialogue process to bring an end to a seven-year-old insurgency.
The Pakistani Taliban had on April 4 extended the ceasefire until April 10 and said it would decide later on the future course of action on peace talks with the government.
However, the TTP seems split on whether or not to extend the ceasefire with one faction claiming that they will launch attacks soon while another saying a formal decision is yet to be made.
