ISLAMABAD ( AP) — Al- Qaida has confirmed an American drone strike killed one of its commanders in Pakistan last month — a success in a CIA-led campaign that is a major source of tension stalling the relationship between Washington and Islamabad.

The death of Badr Mansoor in the strike along the border with Afghanistan is significant because he was believed to be behind many of the suicide attacks that have killed scores of Pakistani civilians in recent years. It could also be used by supporters of the campaign in Washington and Islamabad as an example of how drone attacks benefit both countries.

The U.S.-based SITE monitoring service said today that the confirmation of Mansoor’s death came in a video statement by Ahmad Farooq, al-Qaida’s head of media and preaching in Pakistan. The video has been released on an Internet jihadist forum.

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