ISLAMABAD: Targeting terrorist hideouts for the first time well inside Pakistani territory, a suspected US drone fired missiles at a village in the restive north-west on Wednesday, killing at least six people, most of them foreign militants, officials said.
The targeted house of a local tribesman identified as Dilbar in Indi Khel village, which falls in Bannu district is outside the tribal areas, which US and its allies fear are "safe havens" for top al-Qaeda Taliban fighters.
The missile strike also left seven people wounded.
Most of those killed, according to TV channels and local officials appeared to be foreign militants from central Asia. The latest US strike comes days after US drones targeted a house in north Waziristan killing 13 people, most of them foreigners.
District Police Officer of Bannau Alam Shinwari said that investigations into the attack are underway.
The US is being blamed for around 20 missile strikes in northwest Pakistan since mid-August.
Pakistan has strongly protested the attacks on its soil terming them violations of its sovereignty, but the strikes have continued leading to reports that the two nations could have a "tacit deal".
Till now all the missile attacks have been concentrated on villages in the tribal belt, where Islamabad government has limited presence and legal power, making notions of sovereignty questionable.
Bannu, however, is considered "settled area" which falls under the direct jurisdiction of the provincial NWFP government.
The missile attack came as US troops in Afghanistan launched an artillery barrage on militants who fired rockets at their positions from inside Pakistan's volatile tribal region.
However, Pakistani officials confirming the attack said the artillery barrage was in response to insurgence targeting military positions inside Afghanistan.
The officials said this was part of 'Operation Lion Heart' which he described as series of complementary operations.
Commanders on both the sides hope that pressure and huge presence on the frontier would mean militants running out of options on places to go.
The area of shelling is opposite Pakistani territory in Bajaur where troops have launched a major operation to flush out Taliban militants.
