Taliban chief killed in drone raid

A leading Taliban commander and key link to al Qa'ida, has been killed in a US drone attack on a house in Pakistan's north-west tribal region.

Five suspected militants, were killed, intelligence officials said.

The commander, Badar Mansoor, led a group of over 200 Pakistani Taliban fighters in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for militants in Pakistan, said a fellow insurgent.

The missile strike came in the main bazaar in Miran Shah, the biggest town in North Waziristan.

The attack was the second in as many days in North Waziristan, an indication the drone programme is picking up steam again after a slowdown caused by tensions with Pakistan over accidental American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year.

The US held off on carrying out drone strikes for over six weeks after the deadly accident on November 26. There have been a handful of attacks since they resumed in January, but the last two are the first consecutive strikes since the border incident.

Mansoor was allegedly involved in many suicide attacks throughout Pakistan.

On Wednesday, another salvo of US missiles hit a house in North Waziristan's Spalga village, killing nine people including some Pakistani Taliban militants.

AP