Pakistani intelligence officials say at least four militants were
killed in a suspected U.S. missile strike in northwest Pakistan.
Officials
and witnesses say a U.S. unmanned aircraft (drone) fired a missile that
hit a vehicle near Wana in South Waziristan, Wednesday, killing four
alleged militants.
The strike came one day after Pakistani
Foreign Minister Mahmood Qureshi repeated his government's opposition
to the strikes during meeting with top U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke.
More
than 30 missile strikes have been carried out on suspected al-Qaida and
Taliban targets in Pakistan since last year. U.S. military officials
never confirm the strikes, which are believed to be carried out by
armed forces and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employees from
Afghanistan.
In other news, Pakistani authorities say recent
clashes between security forces and Taliban militants in northwest
Pakistan left up to 21 militants, tribesmen and police officers dead.
Officials
say fighting broke out after Taliban militants crossed into the
district of Buner late Monday from their stronghold in Swat Valley.
Community leaders asked the militants to leave, but they refused, and the standoff turned violent.
Three
policemen, two tribesmen, and as many as 16 Taliban militants were
reported killed. The number of Taliban deaths could not be verified.
In
February, local officials in Swat struck a deal with Islamic insurgents
to allow the enforcement of Islamic law (Sharia) in the region as part
of a deal to stop months of fighting.
News
