News Network

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A top Pakistani official says the government has information that a leading candidate to replace the Pakistani Taliban leader believed killed recently was shot dead Saturday in a gunfire exchange between supporters of senior Taliban leaders.
Villagers gather at the rubble of houses belonging to supporters of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud.
The Taliban denied the report.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said either Hakeemullah Mehsud or Wali ur Rehman Mehsud -- believed to be potential successors -- died in a shootout at a meeting of senior Taliban leaders in South Waziristan.
A senior Taliban commander called the reports of clashes between top Taliban leaders and a death of a potential successor false, accusing the government of dispensing propaganda.
"They want to create some sort of rift, and they want to launch a military operation in South Waziristan and use this as a pretext for such an operation," he said.
Saturday's possible shooting came after intelligence reports that Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a recent drone attack.
Pakistan's foreign and interior ministers said Friday the government was still waiting to conduct DNA analysis to confirm the identity of a man killed Wednesday in an unmanned aerial vehicle strike. source: cnn.com