Pakistan Taliban confirm death of leader Mehsud

The Pakistani Taliban have confirmed that their leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, has been killed in a US drone strike.

Mehsud, who was believed to be in his mid-30s and
was one of Pakistan’s most wanted men, has been reported dead several times before.

But several intelligence, army and militant sources across the country say he was killed in a strike in the lawless region of North Waziristan,

The announcement came hours after the government said it was sending a delegation to the region to explore holding peace talks with the Taliban.

Attacks by unmanned drones have been widely unpopular and have severely strained ties between Washington and Islamabad.