US missile strike 'kills al-Qaeda chief' in Pakistan

Pakistani security officials said Egyptian national Sheikh Fateh was killed on Saturday in North Waziristan.

The officials said Sheikh Fateh took over as al-Qaeda's chief of operations for Afghanistan and Pakistan in May after al-Qaeda's number three leader Mustafa Abu al-Yazid was killed.

The US has frequently targeted al-Qaeda and the Taliban in North Waziristan.

US officials have said they cannot confirm the death of Sheikh Fateh.

He was travelling with three others when their vehicle was hit by a missile, said the Pakistani officials.

News agencies say there have been at least 20 suspected US drone missile attacks targeting militants in Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

The raids have killed hundreds of people since January 2009 and fuelled anti-US sentiment in Pakistan.

The US military routinely does not confirm drone operations, but analysts say it has the only force capable of deploying such aircraft in the region.

The Taliban and al-Qaeda have created bases in the rugged terrain from which attacks are launched into Afghanistan.