PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Missiles fired from a US drone aircraft slammed into a militant training camp in Pakistan's northwest tribal belt on Thursday, killing at least 10 people, security officials said. The attack took place in Pasalkot village in North Waziristan, a stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants, and was the seventh suspected US missile attack in the tribal district this month. "At least 10 people were killed in the missile strike," a senior security official said, adding that four missiles were fired from the unmanned plane.
A local intelligence official confirmed that bombing, telling AFP: "It was a US drone strike which took place between 7.00 am (0200 GMT) and 8.00 am."
He said the area hit by the strike was "very remote" and borders South Waziristan, another Taliban stronghold where Pakistan's military are currently locked in an offensive to dismantle insurgent strongholds.
"At least 10 people, mostly militants, have been killed in the missile strike. The toll is likely to rise," the official said. "The targeted site was a militant training camp."
It was not immediately clear if any senior militants had been killed.
It was the seventh missile strike by an unmanned US spy plane so far this year, as the administration of US President Barack Obama puts Pakistan at the heart of its fight against Al-Qaeda and Islamist extremists.
Suspected US drones have increasingly targeted North Waziristan, a bastion of Al-Qaeda fighters, the Taliban and the Haqqani network that attacks the 113,000 US and NATO troops fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Washington is increasing pressure on Pakistan to tackle militants who use its soil to launch attacks in Afghanistan and American officials have said that the highly secretive drone programme has eliminated some top fighters.
But the attacks on Pakistani territory fuel anti-American sentiment in the nuclear-armed Muslim nation and the government publicly condemns the strikes as a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty.
A US senator, however, scolded Pakistan's leaders Wednesday, charging them with privately supporting US drone strikes while publicly denouncing them.
"What troubles me is the public attack on these drone attacks when at the same time they've privately obviously not told us that we must stop. They have not done that," said Senator Carl Levin.
Pakistan's leaders "not only understand and acquiesce, but in many cases privately support the drone attacks," Levin said, adding that "the minimum we should expect is a silence on their part rather than a public attack on us."
Earlier Wednesday, Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said the strikes sour relations with Washington.
More than 700 people have died in about 77 drone strikes in Pakistan since August 2008, but US officials do not confirm individual attacks. AFP
A local intelligence official confirmed that bombing, telling AFP: "It was a US drone strike which took place between 7.00 am (0200 GMT) and 8.00 am."
He said the area hit by the strike was "very remote" and borders South Waziristan, another Taliban stronghold where Pakistan's military are currently locked in an offensive to dismantle insurgent strongholds.
"At least 10 people, mostly militants, have been killed in the missile strike. The toll is likely to rise," the official said. "The targeted site was a militant training camp."
It was not immediately clear if any senior militants had been killed.
It was the seventh missile strike by an unmanned US spy plane so far this year, as the administration of US President Barack Obama puts Pakistan at the heart of its fight against Al-Qaeda and Islamist extremists.
Suspected US drones have increasingly targeted North Waziristan, a bastion of Al-Qaeda fighters, the Taliban and the Haqqani network that attacks the 113,000 US and NATO troops fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Washington is increasing pressure on Pakistan to tackle militants who use its soil to launch attacks in Afghanistan and American officials have said that the highly secretive drone programme has eliminated some top fighters.
But the attacks on Pakistani territory fuel anti-American sentiment in the nuclear-armed Muslim nation and the government publicly condemns the strikes as a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty.
A US senator, however, scolded Pakistan's leaders Wednesday, charging them with privately supporting US drone strikes while publicly denouncing them.
"What troubles me is the public attack on these drone attacks when at the same time they've privately obviously not told us that we must stop. They have not done that," said Senator Carl Levin.
Pakistan's leaders "not only understand and acquiesce, but in many cases privately support the drone attacks," Levin said, adding that "the minimum we should expect is a silence on their part rather than a public attack on us."
Earlier Wednesday, Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said the strikes sour relations with Washington.
More than 700 people have died in about 77 drone strikes in Pakistan since August 2008, but US officials do not confirm individual attacks. AFP
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