asianews

Pakistan is critical of the US drone attacks

At least 10 suspected militants have been killed in a strike by a US drone in north-west Pakistan, local intelligence officials say.

The attack targeted an insurgents' camp in South Waziristan near the Afghan border, the officials said.

The area is the stronghold of Pakistani Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, whose death in an earlier strike has not yet been confirmed.

There have been dozens of such drone strikes in the past year.

Hundreds of militants and civilians have been killed.

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

'Training camp'

The missiles on Tuesday targeted a training camp near the village of Ladda, in the heart of the Mehsud tribe's territory, officials said.

A resident Hamdullah Mehsud was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying that three missiles were fired into the house of a villager used as a training camp by the militants.

In addition to those killed, five people had been wounded, he said.

In a similar attack last week, the house of the father-in-law of Baitullah Mehsud was hit in Makeen.

Mr Mehsud's wife was killed in the bombing. The Pakistani government's claim that the Taliban leader also died in the attack has not been confirmed yet.

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

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.