CIA's Panetta arrives in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- CIA Director Leon Panetta arrived in Pakistan Friday to discuss the issue of the location of the leadership of the Taliban with security officials.

Panetta was to meet with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and top military and intelligence officials, Pakistan's The National newspaper reported.

He is expected to discuss issues related to the leadership of the Taliban believed to be hiding in the tribal border regions along the Afghan border. Pakistani officials denied claims the leadership is in the area, the report said.

Washington links Pakistani security to its broader fight against al-Qaida and Taliban militants in its military engagement in Afghanistan. Top U.S. officials, including U.S. national security adviser James Jones, paid visits to key government officials in recent days.

Washington has faced mounting criticism for its use of aerial raids on militant targets in Pakistan. Nevertheless, missiles fired from unmanned drones on Friday killed as many as eight people as insurgent attacks left three policemen dead in Peshawar.

Pakistan in October launched a series of attacks on militant outposts in the tribal regions, claiming a recent victory in the operations.

The Taliban, for their part, vowed revenge for the death of leader Baitullah Mehsud, killed in an August missile strike.

Authorities on Friday, meanwhile, announced the alleged mastermind of a deadly bombing on the Islamabad offices of the World Food Program in October.