Top Taliban [Images] leader Baitullah Mehsud may have been killed in an American drone attack in South Waziristan in Pakistan's restive tribal belt. Quoting unnamed senior administration officials, the popular ABC News said United States and Pakistani officials now believe that Baitullah Mehsud, head of the Pakistani Taliban, was 'very likely' killed.

US President Barack Obama [Images] is believed to have been briefed about it, the news channel reported.

"There is reason to believe that reports of his death may be true, but it can't be confirmed at this time," an American official with access to classified intelligence reports was quoted as saying by The New York Times.

"US and Pakistani officials believe that a strike in South Waziristan on Thursday 'very likely' killed Mehsud. US officials said they had visual and other indicators that it was Mehsud, and that there is a 95 per cent chance that he is among the dead," ABC news said.

US has earlier termed Mehsud as a key al Qaeda facilitator in Pakistan's restive tribal belt. Pakistani officials are trying to collect physical evidence to be certain, the report said.

Earlier this year, the Barack Obama administration had announced a reward of $5 million on his head. Mehsud is also suspected to be the mastermind behind the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto [Images].

"Taking Mehsud off the battlefield would be a major victory," an American counter terrorism official was quoted as saying by The New York Times. "The world, and certainly Pakistan, would be a safer place without him," the official said.

If the reported death of Baitullah Mehsud is confirmed, this would be a major boost to the strategy of the Obama administration, as a major terrorist leader would have been killed for the first time. Obama's head of counter-terrorism, John Brennan, while addressing a Washington-think tank on Thursday, said he has made the pursuit of terrorists a priority.

"Over the past six months, we have presented President Obama with a number of actions and initiatives against al Qaeda and other terrorist groups," Brennan said.

"Not only has he approved these operations, he has encouraged us to be even more aggressive, even more proactive, and even more innovative, to seek out new ways and new opportunities for taking down these terrorists before they can kill more innocent men, women and children," said Brennan.

Image: A file photograph of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud talking to reporters in south Waziristan's tribal area | Photograph: Reuters