US drone strike kills seven in North Waziristan

PESHAWAR: A suspected US drone strike has killed seven people and injured three others in the Shawal area of North Waziristan. Intelligence officials say two missiles hit the Shawal area of North Waziristan Sunday evening. The missile strike was carried out in the Shinkai Narai village in North Waziristan. The drone strike targeted a compound and destroyed it completely. Intelligence officials have told Dawn.com that among the suspected militants killed in the strikes, four included foreigners of Arab origin who were preparing for Iftar when the drone struck the compound. Officials have said there is a possibility that a high profile figure was killed in the attack. North Waziristan is home to a mix of Pakistani, Afghan and al-Qaida-linked foreign militants. The US drone program is a source of extreme tension between the two countries. Washington says it needs to send drones after dangerous militants because the Pakistani government refuses to engage them militarily. Pakistan charges that the drone strikes are a violation of its sovereignty.