Continuing clashes between two Taliban groups in South Waziristan left at least 10 militants dead and two injured on Tuesday.
Sources said the fighting occurred in Shaktoi area of the lawless tribal agency where one group opened fire on the vehicle of its opponent group on Tuesday afternoon. As many as 10 people died on the spot while two sustained serious injuries.
Sources said that militants loyal to Khan Said Sajna attacked men belonging to the Shehryar Mehsud group in the Shaga area of Shaktoi when they were travelling in vehicles from Zangara in South Waziristan to Miranshah in North Waziristan on Sunday.
Five people of the Shehryar group were killed and seven captured. The detainees were freed on Monday on the condition that they would not come to the area again. But, the freed men along with their supporters returned to Shaktoi later in the day, prompting a fresh attack by the Sajna group in which five more people of Shehryar group died and as many were detained.
Those killed on Monday include Kashid Khan Mehsud, a leader of the Shehryar group who is said to be an aide to and driver of Hakeemullah Mehsud.
After Hakeemullah’s death in a US drone strike in November last year, Shehryar had declared himself as chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Mehsud-dominated area of South Waziristan, challenging the status of Khan Said Sajna as chief of the Mehsud militants.
Differences between the two factions have widened and for weeks they have been killing each other’s men in attacks in South and North Waziristan tribal regions. The sources said that the situation in the area was tense and more clashes were expected.
