Six killed in suspected US drone attack in Pak

A missile strike by a suspected US drone on Saturday killed at least six people and injured nine others in Pakistan's troubled tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

The drone fired two missiles at a home in Ladha area of South Waziristan Agency early this morning, TV channels reported.

Six people were killed and nine injured in the strike in the area, which is considered a stronghold of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud.

Pakistan's tribal belt bordering Afghanistan has witnessed a wave of missile attacks by US drones believed to be operating from Afghanistan.

Several top Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives have been killed in these strikes along with dozens of civilians.

The civilian casualties have sparked an angry reaction from the Pakistan government, which has said the missile strikes were counter-productive for the war on terror and a violation of the country's sovereignty.

Senior US lawmaker Dianne Feinstein caused embarrassment for the Pakistan government when she told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday that the drones were flown from a Pakistani airbase.

Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar dismissed her comments yesterday, saying no US drones were operating from facilities in Pakistan.