CAIRO, Sept 28 Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman Al Zawahiri says the death of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud will only add fuel to the fighting against western forces in the region.

Zawahiri's 28-minute audio eulogy of Mehsud appeared on militant websites on Monday.

He praised Mehsud for establishing a jihadi movement against the US and allied forces and challenging the Pakistani army.

“You have killed Baitullah ... and he went to his God a martyr as we assume, but you have not killed Islam or jihad,” Zawahiri said in the message. “I warn you of a flood of death and wounds in Afghanistan and Pakistan with help from God, which will not end until you escape or until your demise.”

Zawahiri slammed US President Barack Obama as a criminal who turned a blind eye to the expansion of Israeli settlements. “Have we realised the truth of Obama the criminal, or do we still need more crimes to be carried out in Kabul, Baghdad, Mogadishu and Gaza to be sure of his criminality?” he asked.

“Have we realised the lowliness of America under the leadership of the smiling and wooing Obama?” he asked in the recording.

Zawahiri accused the US president of showing little interest in curbing the growth of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, while at the same time forcing Arab leaders to make further concessions to Israel.—Agencies