peshawar pakistan senior militant commander asad afridi emerge favorite become new leader deadly pakistani taliban faction militant source say friday days u.s. drone strike kill group chief jamaat-ul-ahrar jua splinter faction pakistani taliban kill hundreds people bomb attack consider one dangerous militant group nuclear-armed south asian nation kill jua chief omar khalid khorasani major boost pakistan anti-militancy campaign likely help ease tension uneasy ally unite state days ahead visit u.s. secretary state rex tillerson two jua commanders tell reuters afridi nominate take meet afghanistan group shura leadership council asad afridi close omar khalid declare deputy say one jua commander second jua militant member shura confirm afridi nominate new chief khorasani see rule group iron fist organization use one-man show power hand omar khalid khorasani second commander say khorasani kill series u.s. drone attack week least 30 people kill afghan side border kill follow slight thaw relations islamabad washington seemingly spark pakistan army last week free u.s.-canadian couple three children five years captivity family hold haqqani network afghan taliban-allied militant group warm word washington stark contrast threats u.s. officials would cut military aid impose target sanction pakistan stop provide safe havens afghan taliban haqqani network pakistan deny offer sanctuary afghan taliban fighters ask unite state target pakistani taliban militants cross porous border hide afghanistan pakistan invest 500 million fence 2,500-km frontier sign relations unite state pakistan still difficult chief cia say thursday u.s.-canadian couple hold inside pakistan five years contradict pakistan assertion hold afghanistan clear afridi would change tack confirm jua leader concern within group power base among ethnic pashtun tribes live along afghan border afridi zakha khel area pakistan khyber region khorasani jua fighters mohmand region north organization basically form mohmand majority fighters commanders mohmand therefore people would wish someone area say first jua commander say afridi religious formal school education history fight one point fight u.s. troop afghanistan part taliban friday suspect u.s. drone strike kill 12 people afghanistan paktia province accord government official fourth day week drone strike report afghanistan-pakistan border region twelve dead body pull area missiles strike laik khan afghan government official tell reuters jua emerge deadly pakistani taliban faction past two years one point ally islamic state apparently re-joining pakistani taliban group bomb easter sunday gather park eastern pakistani city lahore last year kill least 70 people august 2016 bomb hospital quetta target city prominent lawyers kill 74 people june year jua target provincial police chief pakistani province baluchistan kill 13 people attack also claim islamic state pakistan militant group find likely replacement u.s. drone kill leader