Six Pakistan Taliban leaders surrender

PESHAWAR: Pakistani authorities on Monday interrogated six Pakistani militant commanders, including the uncle and brother of former Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah

PESHAWAR: Pakistani authorities on Monday interrogated six Pakistani militant commanders, including the uncle and brother of former Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, after they surrendered to the military over the weekend, officials said.

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The surrender of Hakimullah’s family may weaken the Pakistani Taliban’s insurgency which has raged since 2007.

The main force of the Pakistani Taliban has been led by Mullah Fazlullah since 2013, when Hakimullah was killed in a US drone strike.

Hakimullah’ s brother Ijaz and uncle Khair Mohammad had pledged allegiance to a splinter faction led by Khan Said, who was also reportedly killed by a drone attack in November. The two men, and four other militants, were taken into custody after pledging to renounce violence, officials said.

The men were taken to Dera Ismail Khan, a garrison town about 235 km (146 miles) south of Kurram, to be interrogated.