Pakistani officials Friday say the head of al-Qaida's operations in Pakistan and his top aide were killed in a U.S. missile strike on New Year's Day.

The confirmation comes one day after a U.S. counter-terrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity, announced the deaths.

The militants have been identified as Kenyans Usama al-Kini and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan.  They were high on a U.S. list of most wanted terrorism suspects.

Al-Kini is believed to be responsible for several attacks, including the bombing of a Marriott hotel in Islamabad in September that killed more than 50 people.

He and Swedan were also indicted in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Unnamed U.S. and Pakistani officials said the two were killed in an airstrike in the tribal region of South Waziristan, near the Afghan border, as they prepared new attacks. 

The CIA declined to comment on the reported strike.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.