WANA Five suspected militants were killed when a roadside explosion ripped through their vehicle in the Tiarza area on Thursday evening.

 

Local people claimed that the suspected militants belonging to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan of Baitullah Mehsud were traveling in a vehicle when it hit a roadside landmine at Tiarza, around 25 kms north of Wana.

While some private channels aired the news that it was an air strike by a US Drone, the locals contradicted those reports stating that no plane was around when the incident took place.

The identities of the victims could not be ascertained. Locals suspect that relations between the groups of Baitullah Mehsud and deceased militant commander Abdullah Mehsud soured during last couple of days, resulting in this incident.

Earlier, a pamphlet carrying a message purportedly written by Qari Zainuddin Mehsud, the emir of Abdullah Mehsud's Group, were distributed in Wana.

In the said pamphlets, certain charges were leveled against Baitullah Mehsud accusing him of the killing other militant commanders and tribal elders.

The pamphlet states that the activities of Baitullah Mehsud were aimed at defaming Islam and these were never part of a Holy war. The pamphlet also denounced suicide bombings and accused Baitullah Mehsud of orchestrating them. 

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