A Taliban faction leader who was seen as the chief rival to the militant group’s Pakistani head was fatally shot yesterday, reportedly by one of his own guards.
The attack on Qari Zainuddin appeared to be a sign that divisions within the Taliban have broken into the open as they come under military assault. The army is clearing out militants from the Swat Valley and has been pounding strongholds of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in the South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan in apparent preparation for a major offensive.
Zainuddin was gunned down in the nearby town of Dera Ismail Khan.
He had emerged as Mehsud’s chief rival and had criticized the militant leader over attacks that killed civilians. His motive for criticizing Mehsud was not clear, but there was speculation that he was trying to portray himself as a more moderate alternative to the Taliban leader, although there appeared to be little or no differences between the two over fighting US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Dr Mahmood Khan Bitani told The Associated Press that he pronounced Zainuddin dead on arrival at a local hospital with gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
Baz Mohammad, an aide to the militant leader who was also wounded, said a guard barged into a room at Zainuddin’s compound after morning prayers and opened fire. He accused Mehsud of being behind the attack.
“It was definitely Baitullah’s man who infiltrated our ranks, and he has done his job,” Mohammad said, vowing to avenge the death.
He later filed a criminal complaint with police, alleging the shooting was carried out at Mehsud’s behest.
A spokesman for Mehsud could not immediately be reached to respond to the accusation.
Bahawal Khan, the area police official, confirmed the slaying, as did Sher Mohammad, an uncle of Zainuddin. Aides said the guard had gotten closer to Zainuddin about four months ago. He fled after the attack in a waiting car, they said.
Elsewhere in the area, three suspected US missiles hit a reported Taliban training center yesterday, killing at least seven people, two intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
They said the attack was believed to have been carried out by unmanned drones in the village of Najmarai, in the Makeen area of South Waziristan.
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