Leader of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) Tahir Yuldashev was killed in a recent U.S. drone attack in tribal areas of Pakistan, according to the local media reports Friday.

The private TV channel ARY NEWS said that security officials informed it late Thursday night that the leader of IMU was believed to be killed in a recent missile strike by unmanned U.S. plane.

The chief of IMU Tahir Yuldashev was killed in South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan by U.S. drone attack on Aug. 27, the private channel Express reported.

It added that the U.S. authorities have confirmed the death of Yuldashev.

However, neither Pakistan, Afghanistan nor command of the U.S.- led counter-terrorism coalition in Afghanistan have so far officially confirmed Yuldashev's death.

According to the sources, the terrorist ringleader closely cooperated with Taliban and attacked security forces, giving Central Asian leaders nightmares.

The death of Yuldashev had been reported many times but he himself refuted all these reports on tape or film usually released.

It has also been reported that some other field commanders of his outfit had also been killed with Yuldashev. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan was trying to keep its leader's death under the lid, official sources claimed.

The IMU is a militant group formed in 1998. In 2001 it was largely destroyed while fighting alongside the Taliban against U.S. -led coalition forces in Afghanistan. Since then the IMU has reportedly opened training camps in Waziristan and is now involved with other groups attempting to overthrow the government of Pakistan.

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