Four militants killed in US drone attack in Pakistan

A US drone fired missiles on a village in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan tribal region today, killing at least four militants and injuring two others in the third such attack in the region within a week.

The drone fired two missiles at the house of a local tribesman in Tapi Tolkhel village, located 15 km from Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency, official sources said.

It could not immediately be ascertained if the four who died were local militants or foreign fighters. Two others were also injured in the attack.

Earlier, three militants were killed in a drone attack on Monday on the same village. On February 14 also, missiles fired from a US drone had killed seven suspected militants in the region.

The area where the drone strikes occurred is a hotbed of Taliban and al-Qaeda elements. 

Local residents said drones continued to hover over the area after today's attack, which came a day after US officials said top Afghan Taliban military commander Mullah Baradar had been captured in the Pakistani port city of Karachi. 

There have been more than a dozen drone strikes in North  Waziristan this year.

The US stepped up such attacks in the region after a suicide bomber linked to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan killed seven CIA agents at a forward base in neighbouring Khost province of Afghanistan in December.

More than 700 people have died in scores of drone strikes since August 2008.

Pakistan has publicly criticised drone attacks, saying they fuel support for militants, but observers say authorities privately condone the strikes.