New spokesman of Pakistani Taliban confirms Mehsud dead: TV

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani Taliban has confirmed on Monday that the group's chief, Baitullah Mehsud, had been killed in a U.S. drone strike on Wednesday, and announced a 15-day mourning period, a private TV channel reported Tuesday.

The reports said the newly-appointed spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Azam Tariq told the channel that the TTP would observe a ceasefire during mourning period. He said a successor to Mehsud had not been chosen yet.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik also insisted in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, that a doctor who treated Mehsud has also confirmed that he had died in the night between Aug. 5 and Aug. 6.

Earlier on Monday, however, a main TTP spokesman Hakimullah Mehsud said the Taliban chief is alive and that he will present proofs to substantiate his claim.