PESHAWAR - Hakimullah Mehsud and Waliur Rehman Mehsud, potential candidates to replace Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, were killed during an exchange of fire at the TTP Shoora meeting at an undisclosed location in South Waziristan Agency late Saturday. Sources told TheNation that differences had emerged between Wali and Hakim soon after the death of Baitullah Mehsud. The Shoora meeting was in progress regarding the final nomination of Hakimullah Mehsud as Baitullahs successor when rival Waliullah group started firing which resulted in the death of Hakimullah Mehsud. Wali reportedly was also killed during the exchange of firing. Some supporters of Hakimullah in Orakzai Agency confirmed the report of Hakimullahs death. Monitoring Desk adds: Two influential Taliban commanders were killed in an armed clash when key leaders gathered to choose successor of Baitullah Mehsud on Saturday, reported private TV channels. A meeting of five key Taliban leaders was in progress at an area between South and North Waziristan Agency when Taliban commanders exchanged hot words over the issue of choosing Baitullahs successor. As a result commander Waliur Rehman opened fire on Hakimullah Mehsud, the spokesman of TTP, leaving him dead on the spot. In the clash Waliur Rehman was also killed by his rivals. Hakimullah, who controls fighters in the Orakzai, Kurram and Khyber tribal regions, was regarded as one of the leading contenders to replace Baitullah Mehsud. The holding of meeting by Taliban leaders also authenticated the reports that Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud had been killed, which the fellow commanders refuted. Reuters/APP add: The government, however, has received reports that shooting broke out between two rivals for the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban, and one of them may have been killed, the Interior Minister said on Saturday. The infighting was between Waliur Rehman and Hakimullah Mehsud, Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Reuters. We have information that one of them has been killed. Who was killed we will be able to say later after confirming. A Taliban official in South Waziristan, where the meeting took place, told Reuters the government had fabricated reports of fighting between the different factions. Noor Said, who had been a deputy spokesman under Baitullah, said: There was no fighting in the Shoora. Both Waliur Rehman and Hakimullah are safe and sound. An intelligence officer in South Waziristan said he had reports that Hakimullah Mehsud died in the shooting after heated exchanges between the rivals at the meeting held around 4:30pm. According to reports Waliur Rehman fired and killed Hakimullah Mehsud, the official said. State-run Pakistan Television said there were reports that both leaders might have been killed in the shootout. Talking to a private TV channel, Rehman said, There are reports that either Taliban Spokesman Hakimullah Mehsud or Commander Waliur Rehman has been killed during exchange of fire between the two groups. We have information that there was in-house fighting last night and one of them is dead, he added. However, he said, At present, I cannot verify the report 100 percent as I have not received any confirmed evidences so far. Replying to a question about the death of Baitullah Mehsud he said, We have strong indications through our sources and information coming from the area indicated that he (Baitullah) is dead. To a question, he replied that it was a good time for the militants to lay down their arms and work for the progress of the country and the area. He said the democratic government was committed to flush out the terrorists. There is no room for Zaliman (Taliban) and terrorists as their days are numbered. He lauded the performance of the security forces fighting against the terrorists, adding they had eliminated the terrorists from Malakand Division in a very short time. Mohammad Riaz from Mardan adds: Qasim Khan, driver of Baitullah Mehsud, was buried here on Saturday in his ancestral graveyard in Shah Dhand area. According to unconfirmed reports, he had also been killed along with Baitullah Mehsud in a US drone attack on Wednesday, sources said. His dead body arrived at Thekht Bhai, his native town, on Friday night. A large number of people offered his Nimaz-e-Jinaza. The sources said that Qasim Khan had been associated with Baitullah Mehsud for more than nine years. He had also been allegedly involved in distributing threatening letters to different girls schools and music shops, the sources further added. Staff Reporter from Peshawar adds: There are conflicting reports about the death of Qasim. Some sources said that he had been killed in the US drone strike whereas some others have said that that Qasim was killed when Baitullah loyalists attacked the offices of Malik Turikistan Betani, chief of Tank Peace Committee and rival of Baitullah Mehsud, at Omar Adda and Mulazai. The dwellers of Shah dhand informed TheNation that Qasim had received bullets in his head and other parts of the body.