Remember the “battle at the shura” back in 2009, when Hakeemullah and Waliur Rehman supposedly killed each other while fighting at a meeting that was held to decide who would succeed Baitullah Mehsud?

Formed under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud, who has since died, TTP is rooted along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. Some estimates suggest TTP has between 30,000 and 35,000 members.

Ihsanullah Ihsan, the Pakistani Taliban spokesman, said the attack was executed to avenge the death of Ibrahim Mehsud, the nephew of Baitullah Mehsud, the former emir of the Movement of the Taliban in ...