Taliban to avenge Mehsud's death

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The Pakistani Taliban vowed to avenge the death of their former leader through large-scale suicide operations in the country, intelligence sources said.

Militant commanders with the Pakistani Taliban made the decision to avenge the death of Baitullah Mehsud during a tribal conference in the town of Mir Ali in North-West Frontier province, intelligence sources told Pakistan's Online International.

Taliban leaders said there were frustrated following the recent release of a video circulated by Pakistan's Samaa TV allegedly showing the dead body of Mehsud.

Mehsud was killed in a U.S. airstrike in the tribal regions of Pakistan on Aug. 5.

The U.S. military allegedly carries out airstrikes in the region targeting key al-Qaida and Taliban leaders. Opinions vary regarding the whereabouts of top al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Omar.

Pakistani intelligence officials have told the Interior Ministry to make preparations for an increase in terrorist activity around the country.

Local officials in the border provinces were put on high alert, the intelligence sources said.