Officials confirmed reports from locals that Ilyas Kashmiri had died in the overnight strike in the tribal region of South Waziristan.

He is believed to have been one of nine people killed in the attack.

Ilyas Kashmiri headed a group that specialises in co-ordinated multiple strikes on targets, and was a key commander in al-Qaeda.

The US blames him for organising attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India - and has offered its maximum reward for a most-wanted target, US$5m.

His death, coming just a month after that of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, is a major psychological blow to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and will also make it more difficult for wanted militant leaders to find safe places to go.

Independent verification of who has been killed in drone strikes is almost impossible - media access to tribal areas near the Afghan border is strictly controlled.

In September 2009, Pakistani intelligence officials wrongly claimed that Ilyas Kashmiri had been killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan.