4 May 2010 / AP, MIR ALI, PAKISTAN
Suspected US missiles killed four alleged militants in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border Monday, officials said, while a top US general arrived here to discuss the countries’ efforts in the war against Islamist extremists.
The missile strike underscored US confidence in the much-criticized tactic, despite recent video footage that shows the Pakistani Taliban chief may not have been killed in a similar attack in January as earlier thought. The three missiles were fired minutes apart at a moving vehicle in the Marsi Khel area in North Waziristan, said two intelligence officials who confirmed the death toll on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record. North Waziristan has long been a haven for militant networks battling American and NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan. In recent months, it has become something of a sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban leaders who have fled an army offensive in their previous stronghold, South Waziristan. The Pakistani Taliban, while linked to the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida, have primarily directed their attacks at targets inside Pakistan, making them a priority for the army. The Pakistani army has held off on waging an offensive against the other networks that are based in North Waziristan, despite US pressure. In the meantime, the US has used missiles to target militant hide-outs there dozens of times in recent months.
