12 killed in missile strike in Pak's tribal region

Islamabad, Feb 28: A suspected missile strike on a house in Pakistan's restive tribal region of south Waziristan killed at least 12 people, mostly suspected foreign militants this morning. While chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas was not immediately available to confirm or deny the incident, local officials said a house in Azam Warsak town in the region was hit by a missile fired from a drone from Afghanistan.

It was not immediately known as to who was targeted in the attack, which was second in a series in the last one month. On January 29, a missile attack killed top Libyan-origin al-Qaeda leader Abu Laith al-Libbi in south Waziristan. In January 2006, a missile attack in Bajaur agency, apparently targeting Osama bin Laden's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri, killed more than 20 people. However, according to American intelligence, Zawahiri escaped unhurt.

Local pro-Taliban militants announced a unilateral ceasefire in south Waziristan early this month but the army refused to reciprocate the gesture, saying that there was no ceasefore from their side and the anti-terror operation continues in the region.

The army moved into south Waziristan in 2003 to hunt down foreign militants and their local supporters almost over one year after joining the US-led anti-terror war.

UNI