US drone strike kills seven in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - An unmanned US aircraft Tuesday fired four missiles into two compounds in Pakistan’s tribal region near the Afghan border, killing seven people, security officials said.

The attack raised the death toll to 25 from drone airstrikes within 24 hours against suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda hideouts.

An intelligence official said the drone fired two missiles at each compound Tuesday in the Ghulam Khan village near Miran Shah, the headquarters of the North Waziristan tribal district.

“The information we have received so far shows that three people died in one compound and four in another,” the official said.

A second intelligence officer said the drone fired two more missiles into one of the compounds as local residents were trying to pull bodies from the debris.

“The death toll might rise significantly,” he said. “We are trying to gather further information.”

On Monday, US drones killed at least 18 suspected militants when they targeted a vehicle near a roadside security check post and a compound, also in North Waziristan, intelligence officials said.

US forces have intensified their drone campaign in Pakistan’s tribal region. More than 100 strikes this year have killed more than 600 people.