Security officials in Pakistan say at least 15 suspected Taliban fighters have been killed in an attack by a United States drone in south Waziristan.
They say the target was the Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud - the third attack on him in a week.
The US has stepped up its drone attacks in Pakistan's tribal regions since a suicide bomber killed seven CIA agents across the border in Afghanistanon 30 December.
The BBC reports Hakimullah Mehsud has led the Pakistani Taliban since its former leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a drone attack last summer.
