Baitullah Mahsud, the chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed Wednesday the responsibility of his rival Taliban commander's murder, local TV channel reported.
A deputy commander of Baitullah Mahsud told a foreign news agency that they killed Commander Qari Zainuddin because he was a rebel of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, according to local channel ARY NEWS reports.
Zainuddin, a rival to Baitullah Mahsud, was shot dead Tuesday morning in the northwestern Pakistani town of Dera Ismail Khan, Xinhua reported.
Zainuddin has recently given statements to the media opposing Mahsud. He was one of the two tribal leaders who had recently announced support for the army operation against Baitullah Mahsud, the most wanted man in Pakistan for series of suicide attacks across the country.
Zainuddin and another tribal leader Turkistan Baitani had also announced to organize tribesmen to fight against Baitullah Mahsud.