Washington: The reported death of Pakistan Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike has been described as a "victory" by the US media, but analysts also cautioned that it could further strain US-Pakistan relations.
Mehsud's death "is a signal achievement for the covert CIA programme at a time when drones themselves have come under criticism from human rights groups and other critics in Pakistan and the United States over the issue of civilian casualties," the influential New York Times said in a report from London.
The Washington Post agreed that if confirmed it "would be a victory for US officials who have spent years hunting down a leader implicated in a 2009 attack that killed seven Americans at a CIA outpost in eastern Afghanistan."
But it suggested that while the event "could cripple the group" it may "undermine an effort by Pakistan's government to engage militants in peace talks" and "add to strains between the United States and Pakistan."
The "elimination" of Mehsud "by a drone strike in Pakistan today is a significant step forward in the fight against global terrorism," said Lisa Curtis, Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
