Dawn : U.S. strike kills at least 5 in Pakistan

U.S. strike kills at least 5 in Pakistan

Reuters | November 2, 2007

ISLAMABAD -- A missile attack launched by a U.S. drone aircraft on Friday killed at least five people and wounded several more near a madressah run by pro-Al Qaeda mujahideen 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.

Pakistan military does not possess drones, and U.S. does not usually acknowledge making any strikes either.

The latest explosion rocked Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, two km away.

“It shook Miranshah. Many people came out of their shops in panic,” one witness said.

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

Pakistan's military spokesman confirmed there had been no Pakistani action and offered no explanation for the cause of the explosion.

“I have heard there was an explosion in a house, but we didn't carry out any action,” Major-General Waheed Arshad said.

The sprawling religious school was founded by a veteran mujahideen commander, Jalaluddin Haqqani -- an old friend of Osama bin Laden.

There were unconfirmed reports earlier this year that the aging and infirm Haqqani had died, but his son Sirajuddin has emerged as a major militant leader in his place.

(Posted @ 17:55 PST)