Drone strike kills 8 in Pakistan

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — US missiles fired from a drone in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border killed eight suspected militants early Sunday, officials said, as the controversial American strikes continue despite Islamabad’s persistent demands that they stop.

The latest attack killed fighters loyal to militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, the officials said. Bahadur is believed by residents of the region to have an informal working relationship with the Pakistani army, refraining from targeting the security forces while on US and NATO forces in nearby Afghanistan.

The continued strikes, despite the likely political fallout, show Washington’s confidence in the effectiveness of the drone program against Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters who allegedly use Pakistan as a base.

Two Pakistani officials said four Hellfire missiles were fired at a house used by suspected militants in Dre Nishter village of North Waziristan. The officials said some foreign militants belong to the Turkmenistan Islamic Movement were believed to have been killed, along with other local fighters. — AP