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An important Taliban commander was among the 16 people kill in Sunday's U.S. drone strike inPakistan's northwest tribal area of South Waziristan, local media reported.
Wali Muhammad, alias Toofan Mehsud, who was in charge of Pakistani Taliban's suiciders' wing, was believed to be killed in the strike, local Urdu TV channel Geo quoted unidentified sources as saying.
However, there is no official confirmation about the death of Wali Muhammad either from the government sources or from the Taliban side.
U.S. drones on Sunday launched a massive strike at a stronghold of militants in the Babar Ghar area of South Waziristan, in which at least eight missiles were fired at different targets, leaving three militant hideouts destroyed and at least 16 militants killed.
The strike also injured several other militants.
Five U.S. drones were reportedly involved in the attack.
Sunday's U.S. drone strike is the third of its kind in Pakistan since the beginning of this year and also the largest over the last couple of months.
In the wee hours of Thursday morning, U.S drones fired four missiles at a target in South Waziristan, leaving at least 10 militants killed, including Taliban commander Mullah Nazir. Later in the day, U.S. drones launched another strike in the neighboring tribal area of North Waziristan, killing at least four militants.
Following the strikes, thousands of tribesmen staged a rally in protest against the U.S. drone strikes in Waziristan on Saturday and Pakistan foreign office spokesman also condemned the strikes.
However, the U.S. side has turned a deaf ear to the protests and condemnation and continues to press ahead with its drone strike in the country's northwest tribal areas of North and South Waziristan along the Afghan border.
U.S. insists that drone strike is an effective way to wipe out the militants hiding along the Afghan border in Pakistan, who often launch cross-border attacks on the U.S.-led NATO troops and Afghan forces inAfghanistan.
