Four killed in US drone attack in Pakistan

A MuhammadPeshawar, Feb 24 (PTI) Four suspected militants werekilled in a US drone strike in the volatile North Waziristantribal region of northwest Pakistan today, security officialssaid.

The CIA-operated spy plane carried out the attack inthe restive Datta Khel region, 25 km west of Miranshah, a keytown in North Waziristan Agency.

The US resumed drone strikes in Pakistan�s tribalbelt on Monday after a lull of almost a month in the wake ofthe arrest of American security contractor Raymond Davis inLahore last month.

Fifteen rebels, including an Iraqi Al Qaida operativewere killed in two strikes on Monday.

There had been speculation that the US had put dronestrikes on hold to curb rising anti-American sentiments inPakistan as it worked for the release of Davis.

The last strike before Davis'' arrest was carried outon January 23.

The CIA had significantly stepped up the missilestrikes in mid-2010 after Western intelligence agenciesuncovered a plot by militants based in Pakistan�s tribal beltto attack European cities.

Davis'' arrest on January 27 triggered a diplomaticrow between Pakistan and the US, which has insisted that theAmerican should be released on grounds of diplomatic immunity.