Military

Suspected US Missile Strike Kills 9 in Pakistan

By VOA News
23 January 2009

Pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected U.S. missile strike has killed at least nine people in a northwestern village near the Afghan border.

The officials say a suspected U.S. drone - an unmanned aircraft - fired three missiles into a house Friday outside Mir Ali, in North Waziristan province.

Some of those killed are reported to be foreign militants. The area is considered a hub for al-Qaida and Taliban activity.

There have been about 30 similar missile attacks in Pakistan since the middle of last year, despite public objections by the Pakistani government. This is the first one since U.S. President Barack Obama took office on Tuesday. The Bush administration refused to confirm or deny responsibility for the strikes.

Earlier, Pakistani authorities said three people were killed in a roadside bomb blast in the country's restive Swat Valley.

The attack took place Friday as a convoy of security forces passed through an area near the town of Mingora.

Pakistan's military has launched an offensive in the region against militants who are seeking to impose a harsh version of Islamic law.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.