Pakistani Taliban choose commander behind attack on teenage activist Malala as new leader

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan – A militant commander and an intelligence official say the Pakistani Taliban have chosen the man who planned the attack on teenage activist Malala Yousafzai as the group's new leader.

The commander, Hazratullah Torashipa, and the intelligence official say the group's leadership council, or shura, appointed Mullah Fazlullah as the new leader Thursday, a little less than a week after the U.S. killed his predecessor, Hakimullah Mehsud, in a drone strike.

The intelligence official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists.

Fazlullah has served as Pakistani Taliban's leader in the northwest Swat Valley but is believed to be hiding in neighboring Afghanistan. He rose to prominence through radio broadcasts demanding the imposition of a harsh brand of Islam, earning him the nickname "Mullah Radio."