US drone attack kills 3 in northwestern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - A suspected US drone aircraft Thursday fired two missiles into Pakistan’s tribal region along the Afghan border, killing three people, security officials said.

The attack took place near Mir Ali, a major town in North Waziristan tribal district.

An intelligence official said that the missiles fired from the drone destroyed parts of a house and killed three people.

“The identity of those killed is not known yet,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A second intelligence official confirmed the incident, adding that two people were also injured in the missile strike.

The pilotless drones, which are operated by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) regularly carry out attacks in Pakistan’s tribal region, a known sanctuary of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives.

Hundreds of militants have been eliminated by the drone strikes. But they also cause civilian deaths and resulting public resentment in Pakistan.

The Pakistani government, a key US ally in the fight against terrorism, denounces the strikes in public.

But many security analysts believe that its intelligence agencies are sharing information with the CIA about the possible targets of the drones.

Meanwhile, a Pakistan Navy personnel was killed and three more people injured when a bomb exploded in country’s commercial capital Karachi Thursday.

“The bomb was planted in a motorbike which was parked near the main entrance of the Naval Colony,” said a senior police official Zahid Shah.

The Naval Colony is a residential area where many navy officers reside.