The Pakistani Taliban's ruling council met Saturday to choose a new leader after a US drone strike killed Hakimullah Mehsud, as the government said it was determined to press ahead with peace talks. Mehsud, who was under a US$5 million US government bounty, was buried late Friday after being killed when a drone targeted his car in a compound in North Waziristan tribal district. The killing of its young, energetic leader represents a major setback for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a coalition of factions that has claimed some of the most high-profile attacks in Pakistan in recent years. It also presents a major obstacle to the government's efforts to begin peace talks to end the TTP's bloody six-year insurgency that has left thousands of soldiers, police and civilians dead.
No comments:
Post a Comment