Pakistan

Ten killed in missile strike, gunman attacks journalists

Article published on the 2008-11-14 Latest update 2008-11-14 14:46 TU

The wounded Japanese journalist is carried into a hospital in Islamabad.
(Photo: Reuters)

A missile strike in North Waziristan province killed at least ten people on Friday, Pakistani authorities say. Two missiles were fired from an unmanned aircraft and destroyed a house in village close to the South Waziristan border just before 2 am local time.

Some reports say up to 12 people were killed in the attack and that at least five of them were not Pakistani. The region is considered the stronghold of Baitullah Mehsud, a Pakistani ally of Al-Qaeda.

Also on Friday two journalists were shot and injured in the city of Peshwar in northwest Pakistan. An Afghan and a Japanese correspondent were taken to hospital after a gunman fired at them but police said their lives were not in danger.

A separate kidnapping was announced by officials on Thursday after the Pakistani press reported that a 52-year-old Canadian journalist, Beverly Giesbrecht was kidnapped at gunpoint on Tuesday. She had been travelling in Pakistan's northwestern Bannu province.

Canada's Foreign Affairs Ministry has said the Canadian government is aware of the kidnapping and is working with the Pakistani authorities to secure her release.

Friday's missile attack comes after last week's missile strike by the US which killed 14 in an Al-Qaeda training camp in the village of Kumsham in North Waziristan.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who recently complained to US commander General David Petraeus about the attacks, on Thursday told the US's CBS news  that the attacks are "undermining my sovereignty and it's not helping win the war on the hearts and minds of people". 

Friday's attacks come after an Iranian diplomat was kidnapped while travelling to Peshawar in north-west Pakistan on Thursday. The diplomat, Hashmatullah Atharzadeh was seized when his car was attacked by gunmen and his driver killed.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has condemned the kidnapping and called on Pakistani authorities to take "serious action".