US drones kill 10 in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Two suspected US drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal region along the Afghan border have claimed 10 lives, security officials said Saturday.

Unmanned drone aircraft fired six missiles into two suspected militant hideouts in Meer Ali area of North Waziristan tribal district, a known hotbed of fighters allegedly linked to Taliban and Al Qaeda.

“A drone fired four missiles at around midnight Friday at a compound which Taliban were using as their centre,” said an intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“Six people died, and three more were injured,” he said.

Hours earlier, another missile strike targeted a vehicle and killed four alleged militants.

The US military has stepped up attacks in North Waziristan, from where insurgents frequently move across the border to attack international troops in Afghanistan, officials said.

Pakistan has publicly protested the attacks, but it is widely believed that state intelligence agencies coordinate with the US to identify the potential targets.