Four suspected extremists killed in US drone attack in North Waziristan

Islamabad, Jan. 1 (ANI): At least four suspected extremists were killed in a US Drone in North Waziristan, security officials said.

"A US drone fired two missiles, which hit a compound of a local tribesman, Karim Khan, killing four people and injuring two others," The Daily Times quoted Karim Khan, a senior security official, as saying.

The identity of people killed in the attack could not be ascertained.

Khan said it was not clear whether any high-value target was present in the area at the time of the missile hit or not.

The attack comes days after at least 17 suspected militants, including a key Al-Qaeda commander were killed in two separate drone attacks in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan.

The Obama administration has made it clear that it would not hesitate to carry out strikes further inside Pakistan's territory if it gets credible actionable intelligence.

Washington has also been pressing Islamabad to initiate more action against one of the top Afghan Al-Qaeda commanders, Sirajuddin Haqqani.

The frequency of the drone strikes has increased considerably this year (over 40 attacks), which the US believes has proved very effective in breaking the back of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

However, Pakistan has been continuously condemning the Predator hits, saying they have proven detrimental to the 'war on terror', and have subsequently added fuel to the massive anti-American sentiment in the region. (ANI)