The leader of the Taliban's Pakistan branch was killed in a U.S. drone strike on Friday, according to Fox News.
Both Reuters and The Associated Press reported that high-ranking Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud is dead aftering speaking with multiple intelligence and military officials.
The strike occurred in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan, hitting the village of Dande Derpa Khel. It also hit a nearby house.
''We can confirm Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in the drone strike,'' a senior security official told Reuters.
A senior Taliban leader also confirmed his death and said a funeral will be held on Saturday in the main regional city of Miranshah.
In addition to the leader's death, authorities said his personal bodyguard, Tariq Mehsud, and his driver, Abdullah Mehsud, were also killed in the strike, dropped in an area known to Taliban militants. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to speak to the media.
Authorities also said the area was frequented by the Haqqani network, known for targeting NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Friday's drone strike was the second since Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the U.S. last month, asking American officials to end the strikes as many Pakistanis are against them.
Immediately following the attack, religious groups protested the strike in Islamabad and Lahore.
However, the U.S. government has said the Pakistani government supported some of the strikes and released a statistic that 3 percent of the 2,227 Pakistanis killed in the attacks were civilians.
Additionally, the strike came as Pakistan finally began anticipated talks with the Taliban.
