US drone attack kills four militants in Pakistan northwestern tribal region

Islamabad, Mar 30 (ANI): Four insurgents have been killed on a militant compound in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border early Friday when a US drone launched a missile attack there, security officials have said.

The missiles targeted a house in a market area of Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan, known as a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants, they said.

"Two missiles hit a house and four militants were killed," The Dawn quoted a security official, as saying.

"The attack took place at about 3:00 am," he added.

Witnesses said the attack triggered a fire, destroying the building.

Meanwhile, an intelligence official also confirmed the death toll, saying that local people, including Pakistani Taliban, were engaged in rescue work.

Waziristan is the most notorious stronghold of militants in Pakistan's semi-autonomous northwestern tribal belt that Washington considers the premier hub of Taliban and al Qaeda plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan.

Pakistan wants drone strikes to stop, arguing that they are counter-productive because they kill civilians, exacerbate anti-US sentiment and violate sovereignty. (ANI)