Pakistan

Missile strike blamed on US

Article published on the 2008-07-28 Latest update 2008-07-28 13:18 TU

Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani

A missile strike in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan killed six people early on Monday. The attack was reported by local security forces who said a house was destroyed in the attack. They blamed US-led coalition forces for the attack.

Local residents reported seeing US planes and unmanned drones fly overhead in the hours leading up to the missile strike, which they claim came from coalition forces deployed 20km away on the other side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Representatives from the US-led coalition and the separate Nato-led force in Afghanistan denied involvement in the missile attack.

The identities of those killed is not known, though a local official said that the house which was destroyed was rented out by a group of foreign Arabs, believed to be Egyptians.

American officials believe that many Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants are hiding out in the region, including, possibly, Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

The attack came hours before Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani was scheduled to meet US President George W Bush at the White House.