Friday, July 17, 2009

Four die in Pakistan 'drone raid'

A missile, suspected to have been fired by a US drone, has killed four people in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region, intelligence officials say.

The missile struck a house about 30km (19 miles) from Miranshah, the district's main town.

The identity of the dead was not immediately known, officials said.

The region is known as a haven for Taliban and al-Qaeda militants and the US has carried out dozens of attacks in the area in recent months.

Pakistan has been publicly critical of drone attacks. The government says that they fuel support for the militants.

Most of the strikes have taken place in the tribal regions of North and South Waziristan.

The region is the stronghold of Pakistan's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud.

The US military does not routinely confirm drone attacks but the armed forces and the Central Intelligence Agency operating in Afghanistan are believed to be the only forces capable of deploying drones in the region.

In March, US President Barack Obama said his government would consult Pakistan on drone attacks.

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