Hakimullah Mehsud was a wanted man, provided safe haven for Al Qaeda: US

This mutual cooperation gives TTP access to both al-Qaeda's global terrorist network and the operational experience of its members, he said.

"Given the proximity of the two groups and the nature of their relationship, TTP is a force multiplier for al-Qaeda," he said.

Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar yesterday condemned the US strike as a "murder of peace in the region", saying a team of religious clerics was about to meet the TTP with a view to starting peace talks when Mehsud was killed.