Insurgents in Pakistan have reportedly killed two relatives of Baitullah Mehsud on suspicion of spying on their former leader, who died last month in a strike in Waziristan, Press TV reported.
The commander had been killed along with his second wife in a drone attack by the US on Waziristan last month.
The militants had seized a number of Mehsud's relatives on suspicion of providing information to the US and Pakistani military about the commander's whereabouts.
The slain commander's nephew and his father in law were subjected to brutal torture in custody by the militants, according to a Press TV correspondent.
A t least two of the captives were reported to have died in the insurgents' custody.
Mehsud, a warlord in his late 30s, had been involved in the deadly cross border attacks against US-led troops in neighboring Afghanistan.
The former head of the so-called Tehrik-e-Taliban had also claimed responsibility for dozens of devastating attacks on both civilians and security forces across Pakistan.
The recent deaths are expected to spark a split among militants' high ranks in the nuclear armed country.