12 killed in US drone strike in North Waziristan

Drone missiles hit a compound in Tundar village on Friday. Pakistani intelligence officials say American drone-fired missiles have slammed into militant hideouts close to the Afghan border in North Waziristan, killing at least 12 suspected militants. The strikes Friday were the fourth in the span of a week and came a day after Pakistan summoned a US diplomat to protest over the attacks, calling them "unlawful". The officials said each of the three compounds was hit by two missiles. He said several drones were flying over the village at the time of the strike. Another security official confirmed the strike and casualties, adding that the identities of the dead were not immediately clear. Pakistan has repeatedly criticised American drone strikes in its territory, calling them counter-productive. Attacks by unmanned US aircraft are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, which says they violate its sovereignty and fan anti-US sentiment, but American officials are said to believe the attacks are too important to give up.