US drones kill senior member of Pakistan Taleban

By Aoun Sahi

The US has killed a senior member of the Pakistani Taleban famous for harrying fuel convoys destined for NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Taj Gul Mehsud was killed with his brother and around ten other foot-soldiers of the Tehrik-i-Taleban (TTP) in a drone attack late on Thursday, a spokesman for the group confirmed to The Times.

The remotely-fired missile hit the fighters’ hideout in an abandoned house in Sarina close to Smal Bobar in Sararogha said local people.

Drone strikes are relatively rare in South Waziristan which dominated by the Mehsud tribe mostly because of the lack of reliable intelligence on the ground.

Taj Gul, a close and most trusted all of the TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud will be a serious blow to the group which attacks targets on both sides of Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, said analysts.

Earlier on Thursday at least five senior commanders of another Taleban group were also killed in the region suggesting that the US is further stepping up the tempo of its drone operations expanding into new areas.

The fighters were under the command of Maulvi Nazir one of the most influential Taleban commanders whose fighters regularly attack Nato forces. Unlike other Taleban commanders, however, his fighters do not attack Pakistani targets.

With additional reporting by Saleem Mehsud.