Pakistan confirmed on Friday that Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who has a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, was killed in a missile strike and that his body was buried in South Waziristan.

An intelligence officer in South Waziristan said Mehsud's funeral had already taken place. The official said that Mehsud was killed inside the house of his father-in-law with his wife in a U.S. drone attack on Wednesday.

He was killed with his wife and he was buried in Nargosey, the officer said.

Pakistan confirmed Mehsud's death following an early report of its Interior Minister Rehman Malik saying, We suspect he was killed in the missile strike; we have some information, but we don't have material evidence to confirm it.

A U.S. intelligence official also said earlier that Mehsud was mostly likely killed adding that investigation was underway to be certain.

A spokesman for the Afghan Taliban said their struggle would be unaffected by Mehsud's reported death.

The Taliban's jihad against foreign forces in Afghanistan will not be affected if a Pakistani Taliban leader is killed on the other side, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

Mehsud declared himself as leader of the Pakistan Taliban, grouping around 13 factions in the northwest. He was accused of being behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.

Pakistan