Suspected missile strikes by a U.S. drone on a tribal area in northwest Pakistan, a stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaida, killed more than eight persons Monday, media reports said.
Two missiles struck in quick succession the villages of Karikot and Shin Warsak in South Waziristan on the border with Afghanistan.
According to a senior security official two vehicles fitted with guns were destroyed in two separate attacks that also damaged a house. However, it was not immediately clear if any senior Taliban or Al-Qaida operatives were killed, he said, adding that the eight persons killed were all inside the vehicles.
The strikes caused huge fires in both villages, sending panicked residents running into the streets, he said.
U.S. forces in Afghanistan have launched more than 30 airstrikes this year against suspected Al-Qaida and Taliban hideouts in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
The strikes, all blamed on unmanned CIA drones, have raised tensions between Washington and Islamabad, with the former alleging that Pakistan has not been doing enough to halt attacks on western forces by Al-Qaida and Taliban operating from its soil.
Last week, U.S. President George Bush categorically ruled out consultations with other governments (read 'Pakistan') prior to carrying out drone attacks on suspected terrorist targets inside the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan.
"You know very well that when it comes to certain matters, the U.S. government doesn't discuss operations," Bush said when asked if Afghan President Hamid Karzai and he were on the same wavelength on drone attacks.
Pakistan says the U.S. strikes violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity and undermine efforts to fight militancy by inflaming public anger against the west. However, it has been reluctant to move either diplomatically or militarily to stop these strikes, fuelling speculation that the attacks may be part of a secret pact between Pakistan and the U.S.
Rashid Rauf, the alleged Al-Qaida mastermind of a 2006 transatlantic airplane bombing plot, as well as an Egyptian Al-Qaida operative were killed in a missile attack last month.
by RTT Staff Writer
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Pakistan Afghan Border. Location of the  and  where the air strike took place. 
A suspected United States military air strike launched by a remote-controlled and unmanned CIA aircraft on Monday morning killed at least 8 militants. Media reports claim that in two separate attacks, three missiles were fired by US drones at 's Karikot and Shin Warsak villages, a tribal area in northwest Pakistan, well-known as center of  and Al-Qaeda activity. The site of the attack is about nine miles (15 km) from the town of Wana in South Waziristan, an ungoverned tribal region.

South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² (4,473 mi²). It comprises the area west and southwest of  between the Tochi River to the North and the Gomal river to the south, forming part of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The North-West Frontier Province lies immediately to the east. The region was an independent tribal territory from 1893, remaining outside of British-ruled empire and Afghanistan. Tribal raiding into British-ruled territory was a constant problem for the British, requiring frequent punitive expeditions between 1860 and 1945. The region became part of Pakistan in 1947.

A senior security official said that "two vehicles fitted with guns were destroyed," adding that "the eight people killed were all inside the vehicles." Pakistani intelligence said they believed the extremists killed were members of local Pakistani Taliban groups. The reports also said that the missiles "targeted vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft guns, and one missile missed its intended target and landed near a house." A local official said nine other extremists were wounded in the drone strike.

  similar to the one alleged in the air strike.
Agence France-Presse has reported that "a missile attack late last month by a US jet killed Rashid Rauf, the alleged Al-Qaeda mastermind of a 2006 transatlantic airplane bombing plot, as well as an Egyptian Al-Qaeda operative, security officials have said." US unmanned drones have launched not less than 20 missile attacks in Pakistan Afghan border or tribal areas since August. The strikes have raised tensions between Washington and . 

In November, Prime Minister  viewed these missile strikes as flagrant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He announced his government was considering "a number of options to counter attacks". BBC has reported, however, that Pakistan "has been reluctant to move either diplomatically or militarily to stop these strikes." "This has fuelled speculation that the attacks may be part of a secret pact between Pakistan and the US," it added. Meanwhile, President George W. Bush, last week, said that "you know very well that when it comes to certain matters, the U.S. government doesn't discuss operations." He ruled out consultations with other governments, including Pakistan, prior to drone strikes operations.