Taliban chief 'survived US missile attack'

US and Pakistani officials had been relatively confident that

Hakimullah Mehsud died in the January attack.

The Taliban consistently denied this, but declined to show evidence that he was still alive, saying it would compromise his safety.

The latest independent investigations and reports from multiple sources in the field led Pakistani intelligence to conclude that Mehsud had indeed survived, though with some slight injuries, the official said.

"It was just a miracle that only one person escaped that attack, and he was Hakimullah Mehsud," he said. "Miracles do happen."

Mehsud, however, had lost a good deal of power, he added, and other Taliban commanders, such as Waliur Rehman, were overshadowing him.

The Taliban have been known in the past to deny a militant leader had died even if he had. They waited for 18 days to confirm that Mehsud's predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, had been killed in an August strike as they squabbled over who would be his heir.