Missile strike kills 8 militants

Mir Ali : A suspected US missile strike killed at least eight militants yesterday in northwestern Pakistan, officials said, the second attack last week in an area believed to hold many insurgents who fled from an army offensive elsewhere in the Afghan border region.

The attack came hours before CIA Director Leon Panetta held talks yesterday with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the capital, a statement from Gilani's office said. The CIA is believed to be behind the more than 40 missile strikes to have hit suspected Al Qaida and Taliban targets over the last year.

American officials do not generally acknowledge the attacks, which are unpopular among many here.

A US drone fired two missiles at a compound being used by suspected Taliban militants in a village near Mir Ali in North Waziristan, according to two intelligence officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to release the information.

The compound was destroyed and eight bodies were pulled from the rubble, the officials said, adding that two other suspected militants were wounded.

The targeted compound in the village of Shakhwadi was owned by two brothers, and Taliban militants were frequently seen visiting the building, which was cordoned off after the missile strike, the officials said.

Ahmad Nawaz Dawar, a local tribesman, said Taliban militants buried those killed and took the wounded to a hospital.

Another suspected US missile strike killed three militants and wounded four just after midnight on Thursday in Shana Khuwara village in North Waziristan, officials said.

Secret deal

Anti-American sentiment is pervasive throughout Pakistan. The Pakistani government publicly condemns the US strikes as violations of its sovereignty, but many analysts believe the two countries have a secret deal allowing them.

The US Embassy declined to comment on the CIA director's visit to the country. American security and government leaders visit Pakistan most weeks to discuss its role in the fight against Al Qaida and the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan.

The army launched its offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan in mid-October and has retaken many towns in the region. The United States has welcomed the effort, but wants the Pakistanis to do more against the insurgents in the border area blamed for violence in Afghanistan.

Militants, meanwhile, are believed to have fled north to escape the fighting.