A Rival of Baitullah Mehsud, the powerful Taliban leader who has carried out a string of bloody suicide bombings in recent years, was shot on Tuesday in northwestern Pakistan, police officials said.

The death of Qari Zainuddin, the rival leader, comes as a serious blow to the government, which had supported him as a counter to Mehsud in its campaign against the Taliban.

Zainuddin was killed in the northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan, said Iqbal Khan, the town’s district police chief. The initial investigation indicated that the gunman was a guard named Gulbadin Mehsud who was thought to have been loyal to Zainuddin. The alleged attacker, who was not directly related to Baitullah Mehsud, escaped after the attack, which also wounded another guard, he said.

The military is mounting an operation against Mehsud in his sanctuary in South Waziristan, a mountainous tribal region in western Pakistan. Zainuddin and his group were helping the government by denying Mehsud and his fighters the ability to operate in a nearby region, and in recent months, killing some 30 of his fighters. Pakistani jets have also targeted Mehsud’s hideouts in recent days.

The killing showed the long reach of Mehsud, whose suicide bombings in major cities have terrorised Pakistanis for years. It was also intended as a reminder that there are serious consequences for crossing him, analysts said. Zainuddin had been a vociferous critic of Mehsud and his tactics.

“It tells people if you side with the government this is what will happen to you,” said Talat Masood, a retired general and military analyst. “It says the government can’t give you protection but the other side can.”

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