ISLAMABAD: A missile launched from a US drone struck a suspected militant hideout in a tribal region in northern Pakistan where allies of a powerful warlord were gathered Saturday, killing five of his supporters, Pakistani officials said.The strike in North Waziristan against allies of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a militant commander whose forces frequently target US and other NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan, comes amid speculation over whether Pakistan will launch an operation against militants in the tribal region.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry condemned the latest drone attack. “Pakistan has consistently maintained that these attacks are a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and are in contravention of international law,” the ministry said in a statement.
Some Uzbek foreign fighters were among the dead in SaturdayÂ’s strike, according to two Pakistan intelligence officials. Three people were also wounded, they said.