Pakistan Taliban name Mullah Fazlullah new leader

Mullah Fazlullah, a hardline commander from the Swat area, was chosen after a conference in north-west Pakistan.Pakistan's Taliban have named Mullah Fazlullah as their new leader, after the death of Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone attack, a spokesman has said.

Mehsud was killed when missiles struck his vehicle in the North Waziristan region on 1 November.

Pakistan's government accused the US of destroying its attempts to start peace talks with the Taliban.

The BBC's Richard Galpin in Islamabad says it was Maulana Fazlullah's fighters who shot the Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai and he is likely to be very much opposed to any peace initiative.

Mehsud clan

The announcement was made by the Taliban's caretaker leader Asmatullah Shaheen at a press conference at an undisclosed location.

There was reportedly heavy celebratory gunfire in the Miranshah area when the news was announced.

Maulana Fazlullah led a brutal campaign in Swat between 2007 and 2009, enforcing hardline Islamic law that included burning schools, and public floggings and beheadings.

A military operation was launched to retake the area.

Prior to the latest announcement, the BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad said that Mullah Fazlullah was not a member of the Mehsud clan and, if appointed, would face a challenge to control the Mehsud fighters, who make up the bulk of the Taliban's manpower.