Suspected US missile strikes continue in Pakistan

A suspected US missile strike killed at least eight people in a Pakistani village close to the Afghan border today.

The cross-border attack took place in Kam Sam village in the North Waziristan region, a stronghold of Taliban and al-Qa'ida militants blamed for attacks on US troops in Afghanistan and rising violence within Pakistan.

One Pakistani security official said 10 people died. Another put the toll at eight. The identity of the victims was not clear and it was not immediately possible to reconcile the differing tallies.

US aerial drones are believed to have carried out at least 18 missile strikes in Pakistan since August, angering the country's civil and military leaders, as well as many of its 170 million people.

The attack was the first since the installation of General David Petraeus as head of US Central Command last week, giving him overall command of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pakistani leaders said they told Gen. Petraeus to stop the cross-border strikes when he visited the country earlier this week. He said he would "take on board" what they said, but gave no promise the attacks would stop.