Lahore, Jan. 3 : After keeping them in custody for months, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has released the family members of its chief Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike in August last year.

According to the BBC Urdu, Mehsud’s in-laws, who were abducted by the TTP for ‘spying for the government’ were released some days ago.

Mehsud’s father-in-law Ikramuddin along with his son Ziauddin, bother Saeedullah and nephew Yar Muhammad, were set free some days back, the BBC reported.

Peshawar, Sep. 17 : Two out of the six family members of the killed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, who were kidnapped by the Taliban for spying on their chief, have died.

Sources said Mehsud’s in laws were subjected to brutal torture in custody by the Taliban. However, the TTP has denied such reports saying Iqbal Mehsud has died of heart failure.

It may be noted that the Taliban had abducted Baitullah Mehsud’s six in-laws over charges of alleged spying for the US forces.

Peshawar, Aug. 24 : An editorial in a Pakistani daily has claimed that intelligence outfits of India and Afghanistan funded late Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud.

It says that his death in South Waziristan has sparked off a battle among various Taliban warlords to control two billion rupees worth of Taliban funds and own arms and ammunition worth another million rupees.

Islamabad, Aug. 14 : Pakistan Parliamentary Committee on National Security has termed the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud's elimination as a `positive' development, but has criticized the use of US drones inside the territory.

"Although the killing of Baitullah Mehsud is positive in overall context of the war on terror, it cannot justify the US drone attacks inside Pakistan," committee chairman Mian Raza Rabbani said.

Wana, Aug 10 : Militant commander Hakeemullah Mehsud said that no scuffle occurred between him and Waliur Rehman.

Talking to Geo News, Hakeemullah said he is quite safe, hale and hearty.

He also claimed that Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud is alive, adding if the Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik could not present any evidence regarding the death of Baitullah Mehsud, he would table the proofs to deny the reports regarding his death.

WANA (NWFP, Pakistan), Aug. 10 : An aide to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud, Maulana Noor Saeed, has rubbished reports of him being killed by a US drone strike last Wednesday, and said that he is alive, but ill.

Saeed was quoted by the BBC, as saying that Baitullah will issue a video message some time on Monday to quash speculations regarding his demise.

Kabul (Afghanistan), Aug. 10 : General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of American troops in Afghanistan has warned that the reported death of Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud could mean more trouble for Afghanistan in the immediate future.

Islamabad, Aug. 10 : Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas has said that information gleaned from multiple sources have confirmed the death of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in a CIA missile strike last Wednesday.

Claims and counterclaims about whether Mehsud is alive or dead have swirled since the Wednesday drone strike in South Waziristan.

Islamabad - A pro-government tribal leader on Sunday claimed that fighting between rival groups for the leadership of Pakistani Taliban had killed 24 rebels, including two possible successors to warlord Baitullah Mehsud.

The top Taliban commander was believed killed along with his younger wife in a US missile attack on his father-in-law's house on Wednesday.

London, Aug. 9 : Pakistan''s Interior Minister Rehman Malik has challenged the Taliban to prove that their top leaders—Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud—are still alive.

"If Baitullah Mehsud is alive, or Hakimullah is alive, why don''t they bring out a video. Every telephone has a camera on it. They can just get one out and show people that they are alive. I challenge them," BBC quoted Malik, as saying.

Malik said that Pakistan’s enemy no. 1 had died in a US missile strike on Wednesday, while his close aide Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a shootout that broke out on Friday between potential successors.

London, Aug. 8 : A lieutenant of Pakistan''s enemy no. 1 Baitullah Mehsud on Saturday rejected reports of the Pak-Taliban chief's death in a US drone strike.

BBC quoted Commander Hakimullah Mehsud - who some analysts suggest may be positioning himself to succeed Baitullah Mehsud - as saying that the reports of Mehsud's death were the work of US and Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Islamabad, Aug. 8 : The killing of Pak-Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in a US drone strike has not only closed another chapter of terrorism, but it has also dispelled the Pakistani thesis claiming that Mehsud was operating at the behest of a US-India combine because those countries wanted to dismember Pakistan, an editorial in the Daily Times says.

Washington, Aug 8 : The killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehusd in a US drone strike is likely to open up a power struggle within the various factions of the Taliban, that Islamabad could use to divide and suppress the militancy in the region.

Islamabad, Aug. 8 : Following the death of Pak-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud in a US drone strike, an interesting question has cropped up—Will Islamabad offer the promised bounty money of 50 million rupees to the CIA for killing Pakistan’s enemy no. 1?

The US government had also announced a 5-million-dollar bounty on Mehsud.

Lahore, Aug 8 : After the killing of dreaded militant commander Baitullah Mehud, the US may now seek to get more cooperation from the Pakistan Government in hunting down Taliban leaders who are based in the country, but conduct most of their attacks in Afghanistan, according to analysts.

Islamabad - Baitullah Mehsud, the chief of the Pakistani Taliban, has been killed, a close aide to the militant leader said Friday.

Government officials, though almost sure the warlord wad dead, said they were awaiting 100 per cent confirmation.

As news of his death spread, a group of Mehsud's loyalists attacked the office of his rival and pro-government warlord Turkistan Bittani and killed eight of his men.

Islamabad - The followers of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud were on Friday unable to find his successor after the warlord died in a missile attack carried out by US pilotless drone aircraft.

The Taliban were expected to officially announce Mehsud's death later Friday together with who would be his successor, but they did not manage to agree on the latter.

Among those under consideration are his spokesman Hakimullah Mehsud, Azmatullah, a regional commander in South Waziristan and Wali-ur-Rehman, Baitullah's first cousin and deputy.

Islamabad - Only time will tell whether the death of top militant leader Baitullah Mehsud leads to an improvement of the security situation in Pakistan. But one thing is quite clear: it will have little impact on Islamic insurgency in Afghanistan.

Previously a bodybuilder and smuggler, Mehsud died in a US drone attack in north-western Pakistan on Wednesday. Local intelligence officials claim the attack got an assist with Pakistani information about his whereabouts.

Dera Ismail Khan (Pakistan), Aug. 7 : A close aide of Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud confirmed on Friday that the latter has been killed in a U. S. missile strike.

"I confirm that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife died in the American missile attack in South Waziristan," Kafayat Ullah told The Associated Press by telephone. He would not give any further details.

Islamabad  - Baitullah Mehsud, the chief of the Pakistani Taliban, has been killed, a close aide to the militant leader said Friday.

He died with his wife Wednesday in north-western Pakistan in a suspected US missile attack that also killed half a dozen of his security guards, said the warlord's aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Mehsud's funeral was performed Wednesday afternoon and his body was later buried in Margosa village, the Taliban leader said.