Pakistani Taliban leader allegedly dead

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban chief blamed for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, has died after a protracted illness, unconfirmed reports say.

The English-language newspaper Dawn reported early Wednesday local time it had learned from official sources, described as a political agent and a security man, that Mehsud was dead. However, it said it had not obtained independent verification of his death and that the terrorist organization was denying the report.

Dawn said private TV channels, including DawnNews and Geo, had reported the Taliban commander had succumbed to renal failure.

In addition to being accused of being behind the slaying of Bhutto, the former Pakistani prime minister, Mehsud, who was known to have diabetes and hypertension, has been assigned responsibility for a large share of the violence plaguing Pakistan's North West Frontier province.