Intelligence

CIA chief in Pakistan for anti-terror talks

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Sept 30, IRNA -- CIA Chief Leon Panetta has arrived in Islamabad for talks with Pakistan's civil and military leadership on security issues, focusing on anti-terror cooperations, official sources said Wednesday.

The visit coincides with a fresh US drone strike in North Waziristan tribal region on Wednesday, killing three people.

Five other people were injured when drone fired missies on a vehicle at Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, locals said.

Panetta's visit to comes shortly after reports appeared that Western intelligence agencies had uncovered a plot by Pakistani militants to carry out an attack in London and key cities in France and Germany. However, Pakistani army spokesman Major general Atahar Abbas said sources have not given any such intelligence.

The CIA chief will meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Inter-Services Intelligence agency chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha.

The U.S. embassy and Pakistani officials have not offered any comment on CIA chief visit.

The talks will focus on a review of anti-terror cooperation and the situation in Afghanistan, sources said.

The CIA chief is visiting Pakistan at a time when the US has stepped up drone strikes in Waziristan tribal region.

Reports say that there have been 21 drone strikes in the region this month - the highest figure for any single month since the attacks began in 2004.

Media reports said a US drone strike on Saturday killed Sheikh Fateh, al-Qaeda's operational chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was killed in North Waziristan tribal region.