U.S. confirms attack kills al-Qaeda leader

A missile strike hits on target; U.S. confirms attack kills al-Qaeda leader marking a “significant victory”

A U.S. missile strike that killed a top al-Qaeda commander in Pakistan marked a significant victory for the U.S. in its battle against the terror network.

Habibullah Khan and Martha Raddatz reported for ABC News Wednesday, Jan. 30, on the hit that follows criticism of the campaign against Taliban Islamist Muslims in the region.

Pakistani intelligence sources said a "high-value" al Qaeda target was killed in the missile strike the previous day in the tribal region near Afghanistan.

U.S. officials denied targets that day included Osama bin Laden or his deputy Ayman al Zawahri, but one senior official told ABC News the strike was aimed at one particular figure.

"We don't know whether we got him yet, we are sorting through it," the official said shortly after the attack, indicating the intended target was a top leader of the terror group.

The official also ruled out as a target American al Qaeda Adam Gadahn, who appeared recently in a propaganda videotape.

"Gadahn may be recognizable to all of you, but he is really not that high up on the food chain in al-Qaeda and not that important," the official said.

Pakistani officials initially said that 12 suspected militants had been killed in a midnight strike against a home in a village in North Waziristan, Khushali Torikhel.

Both the Pakistani military and the CIA have used missile attacks in the past to target top al Qaeda leaders. 

The CIA makes good use of missiles on unmanned Predator aircraft that fly over enemy occupied airspace – in Pakistan, they have unofficial, ersatz approval from the government.

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