Pakistan's Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud has been killed in a U.S. missile strike, Pakistani intelligence officials said Friday.
         
Mehsud was considered by intelligence officials to be Pakistan's enemy number one.

Officials claim the Taliban leader was responsible for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the country's history -- killing more than 1,200 people in the last two years -- including former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
    
Click play for more with CBN News Terrorism Analyst Erick Stakelbeck.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik quickly reacted to the news of Mehsud's death.

"And the good thing is that the information is coming within the group," Malik said. "That means there is a wedge between them. And as I earlier said, that their days are numbered, and I think I'd like to appeal to everybody there that please see the situation, we are in control."
    
The U.S. increased its targeting of Mehsud this year. Nine of the last ten missile attacks have targeted Mehsud and his network.
    
But the one that appears to have killed him struck his father-in-law's house Wednesday morning.
    
The missile attacks have been controversial in Pakistan.    

"Over the past six months we have presented President Obama with a number of actions and initiatives against al Qaeda and other terrorist groups," said White House Counterterrorism Chief John Brennan. "Not only has he approved these operations, he has encouraged us to be even more aggressive, even more proactive, and even more innovative."
    
There are reports that Mehsud's wife and brother were also killed in the missile strike.