The head of the Pakistani Taliban has sacked a top commander sacked, Taliban sources said Saturday.
The move by Taliban head Maulana Fazlullah is aimed at making a last-ditch bid to stop increasingly divided insurgency.
According to Dawn News, Khan "Sajna" Said was sacked on Friday after weeks of bloody infighting in the powerful Mehsud tribe that supplies the bulk of the Pakistani Taliban fighters.
The risk for Fazlullah is that Said might ignore him and battle on.
Said is trying to wrest control of the Mehsud tribe from rival Shehryar Mehsud.
According to the report, the factional fighting has complicated attempts by the Pakistani government to end the insurgency through peace talks it proposed in February.
Some commanders are in favour of talks but others vowed to continue their insurgency.
A Taliban commander said, referring to the movement's leadership council, that it's a test case for Maulana Fazlullah and his shura.
He added if Sajna is convinced and he stops fighting, it conveys a good message to rest of the Taliban factions.
