Baitullah Mehsud's wife killed in US drone attack in Pakistan (Lead)

Islamabad, Aug 5

The wife of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a suspected US drone strike in northwestern Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal agency, TV channels reported Wednesday.

TV reports said the drone hit the house of Akramuddin, father-in-law of Mehsud, killing four people and injuring two others. The Pakistani army has been hunting Mehsud for weeks.

Relatives said that Mehsud's wife was among the dead but there was no official confirmation.

Officials said that the drone attack destroyed the house.

According to locals, several guests were also in the house when the attack took place.

US drones regularly attack hideouts of the militants in Pakistan's tribal region.

The US has intensified drone attacks on the tribal regions despite Pakistan's protest at a time when the security forces are engaged in a major offensive against Mehsud in South Waziristan.

Pakistan insists that drone attacks are counterproductive and must be stopped but US officials have ruled out any change in the policy.

Pakistani officials say the drone strikes have killed more than 400 people in more than 40 attacks since August 2008.

Last updated on Aug 5^th, 2009 at 13:49 pm IST--Xinhua

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