( CNN ) -- Senior Taliban official Maulvi Faqir Mohammad has named himself acting head of the Pakistani Taliban , a close relative of Mohammad and local Taliban spokesmen in Pakistan 's federally administered tribal areas told CNN Wednesday . Baitullah Mehsud , right , and a bodyguard arrive at a meeting in South Waziristan , Pakistan , in 2004 . Pakistani and U.S. officials believe that the group 's leader , Baitullah Mehsud , was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan . Through his relative , however , Mohammad said that Mehsud is alive but ill and temporarily unable to perform his duties . Mohammad believes that he is in line to lead the group because he is a deputy of Mehsud 's , the relative said . A year ago , Mohammad was falsely believed killed in a Pakistani airstrike , according to media reports at the time . The relative also said that Mohammad appointed Haji Muslim Khan as the group 's spokesman . Khan is a former provincial Taliban spokesman in Swat . Pakistani officials announced Tuesday that two top figures in the Pakistani Taliban had been arrested . Saif Ullah is believed to have been Mehsud 's right-hand man , and Maulvi Umar is the well-known spokesman for the militant group . Umar recently declared that Mehsud had not been killed in the drone strike on his father-in-law 's house , but a senior Pakistani official said Umar had admitted under questioning that Mehsud was dead . The top U.S. envoy to the region , Richard Holbrooke , said the Pakistani Taliban have not confirmed his death because of an ongoing power struggle over his successor . Journalist Janummah Hashaimzada contributed to this report .
Group 's leader is believed to have been killed in an ambush this year . Deputy Taliban leadership ; he was falsely believed killed last year . Pakistani officials announce deaths of two top Taliban figures .