Twin suspected US missile strikes on a tribal area in northwest Pakistan have killed at least eight militants
At least eight dead in Pakistan missile strike: officials
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) — Twin suspected US missile strikes Monday on a tribal area in northwest Pakistan known as a hub of Taliban and Al-Qaeda activity killed at least eight militants, officials said.
The strikes were the latest on extremists in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan -- all said to have been launched by unmanned CIA aircraft -- that have raised tensions between Washington and Islamabad.
Two missiles "fired by US drones" struck the villages of Karikot and Shin Warsak in troubled South Waziristan, a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Two vehicles fitted with guns were destroyed," the official said, adding that the eight people killed were all inside the vehicles.
It was not immediately clear if any senior Taliban or Al-Qaeda operatives were killed in the strikes, which took place just minutes apart, he said.
Local intelligence sources said they believed the militants killed were members of local Pakistani Taliban groups.
The strikes caused huge fires in both villages, sending panicked residents running into the streets, he said, adding that one house was damaged.
The suspected US strikes have continued despite a warning by Taliban militants based in tribal territory last month that any more would lead to reprisal attacks across Pakistan.
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.
Pakistan has repeatedly protested to the United States that the strikes violate its territorial sovereignty and deepen resentment among the 160 million people of the nuclear-armed Islamic nation.
President Asif Ali Zardari recently promised zero tolerance for violations of his country's sovereignty, but some officials say there is a tacit understanding between the two militaries to allow such action.
Islamabad has come under increased pressure to quash militant activity within its borders, with Washington and Kabul saying it has not done enough to stop militants crossing the border to attack US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Pakistan rejects those accusations, pointing to its operation against militants in the semi-autonomous Bajaur region bordering Afghanistan. The military says more than 1,500 rebels have been killed there since August.
Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is widely believed to be hiding in Pakistan's rugged border region, although there is no clear information about his whereabouts.
US Vice President Dick Cheney said at the weekend that he was unsure if bin Laden -- held responsible by Washington for the September 11, 2001 attacks -- was even still alive.
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.