This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7736855.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
'US raid' kills five in Pakistan 'Five killed' in Pakistan attack
(about 9 hours later)
A missile fired by a suspected US drone has killed at least five people in north-western Pakistan, security officials say. A suspected US missile strike has killed at least five people deep inside north-western Pakistan, local officials and residents say.
The missile destroyed a house in the Bannu district, they said. The strike destroyed a house near Bannu in North West Frontier Province about 50km from the Afghan border, they said.
The dead include two foreigners - a term Pakistani officials use to describe al-Qaeda militants. Those killed were all local militants, officials in the area say.
In recent weeks, more than 100 people - among them suspected militants and many civilians - have been killed in the tribal areas in attacks by US missiles. In recent weeks, more than 100 people - among them suspected militants and many civilians - have died in Pakistan's tribal areas in attacks by US missiles.
The issue has become extremely sensitive in Pakistan where anti-American sentiment is rising. There has been no official confirmation of the latest attack, which follows Pakistani government protests against a surge of air strikes by US drone aircraft targeting Islamist militants in recent months.
Pakistan's government says unilateral American operations undermine its own counter-insurgency strategy. The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says so far these strikes have taken place in the lawless tribal areas near the Afghan border - this would be the first time a US missile has been fired so far inside Pakistani territory.
A local security official told the AFP news agency that Wednesday morning's attack "destroyed the house of a tribesman". 'Counter-productive'
Bannu is near the Afghan border on the edge of the North Waziristan tribal region, a centre of support for pro-Taleban militants. Local officials and residents said the missile was fired by an unmanned US aircraft, although one security official told the BBC it was fired from inside Afghanistan.
Correspondents say Pakistan's tribal regions on the Afghan border have usually borne the brunt of suspected US missile attacks, so the strike in Bannu was unusual. Until now most US air strikes have targeted militants in the tribal areas of South and North Waziristan, where the federal government does not have much of a presence.
Last Friday, missiles fired by a suspected US drone killed at least eight militants in North Waziristan which is known to be a hub of al-Qaeda and Taleban militants. But Bannu, which borders Waziristan, is deeper inside Pakistan and falls under the control of the regional government.
The latest attacks have come days after Pakistan's President Asif Zardari's appeal to US President-elect Barack Obama to review the strategy of attacking targets in Pakistan's tribal areas. Our correspondent says the attack could, therefore, provoke more anger among Pakistani leaders, who have been denouncing the strikes as violations of national sovereignty.
"It's undermining my sovereignty and it's not helping win the... hearts and minds of people," Mr Zardari told CBS News. They also argue that the American actions are counter-productive because civilians are killed, which deepens resentment against America and the Pakistani government.
The US has stepped up missile attacks from drones in the region in recent weeks. But despite these loud and continued protests, the attacks have not stopped, leading to speculation that the two nations have a secret deal on the strikes, our correspondent says.
There have been nearly 20 strikes in the past three months and, while US officials say al-Qaeda leaders are being successfully targeted, local tribesmen say scores of civilians have been killed. Elsewhere along the border, in the tribal area of Bajaur, both American and Pakistani military officers have said there is good co-operation in jointly fighting Taleban militants. There is no Pakistani military operation in progress in Waziristan.
Most of the missile strikes have taken place in the Waziristan region, where no Pakistani military operation is in progress. There have been nearly 20 missile strikes in the past three months and, while US officials say al-Qaeda leaders are being successfully targeted, local tribesmen say scores of civilians have been killed.