US drone attacks kill 28 in Pakistan border area

Unmanned US aircraft fired missiles at houses in two different parts of north-western Pakistan yesterday, killing at least 12 militants in attacks that occurred hours apart, intelligence officials said.

They said the first strike took place around midday, when aircraft fired four missiles at a house in Shaktoi village, South Waziristan, killing five suspected militants and wounding four. Later, two missiles hit a house in a village near Miran Shah, North Waziristan, killing seven suspected militants.

On Saturday, US missiles targeted a compound in the Nazai Narai area of South Waziristan, killing 16 suspected militants. The hideout was known to be frequented by foreign fighters who were among the dead, officials said.

The US doesn't publicly acknowledge the CIA-run drone program, and Pakistan condemns such strikes in public but has secretly helped Washington in previous attacks.