President Barack Obama
President Barack Obama Reuters

Barack Obama confirmed unmanned drone strikes in Pakistani territory during a video chat on Google+ on Monday, considered a rare admission by the US administration.

Obama was on an hour-long video chat on Google's social networking site Google+ "hangout".

The video chat was part of the President's week-long media engagement after his State of the Union address on January 24, 2012.

During the hangout, Obama confirmed an increase in the use of drone strikes during his presidency in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

"A lot of these strikes have been in the Fata," Obama said during the interaction.

"The target was Al-Qaeda suspects who are up in very tough terrain along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan," he added.

"For us to be able to get them in another way would involve probably a lot more intrusive military action than the ones we're already engaging in," continued the President.

The virtual interview on Monday on Google+ was broadcast live on YouTube also.

Check out video: