Dawn : Missile strike kills at least 5 in Pakistan

Missile strike kills at least 5 in Pakistan

Reuters | November 2, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Nov 2 (Reuters) - A missile attack launched by a drone aircraft on Friday killed at least five people and wounded several more near a madressah in a village near the town of Miramshah in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, witnesses said.

“A drone was flying very low and fired the missile. It destroyed three houses,” a resident of Dandi Darpakheil village told Reuters, requesting anonymity.

The missile hit dwellings close to a sprawling religious school founded by a veteran mujahideen commander, Jalaluddin Haqqani.

The village is about two km from Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, and residents said the explosion rocked the whole area.

“It shook (all of) Miranshah. Many people came out of their shops in panic,” one of the residents said.

Six wounded men were admitted to Miranshah's main hospital.

There were unconfirmed reports the aging Haqqani, an old friend of Osama bin Laden, had died earlier this year, but his son Sirajuddin has emerged as a major militant leader in his place.

Military officials were not immediately available for comments.

(Posted @ 17:45 PST)