US missiles kill 7 in Pakistan

Islamabad, June 21, IRNA – US spy planes fired missiles into a Pakistani tribal region on Monday, killing at least seven suspected militants, local media reported.

A pilot aircraft fired two missiles on a vehicle in Lower Kurram agency, killing two militants, TV channels reported.

When the militants arrived at the scene for rescue operation, another US aircraft fired missile and killed two more militants, Geo television reported.

Some time later a third US unmanned aircraft struck a nearby alleged center of the militants and killed three people.

It was not immediately known if any high value target was among those killed in the three strikes.

Residents said that they had seen US spy planes flying over the area before the strike. Pilotless aircraft were also hovering over the region after the strike.

US drones usually target suspected militants in Waziristan tribal region and strikes in other tribal regions are rare.

Security sources said that militants from Waziristan, Khyber and Orakzai tribal regions have moved to the remote and mountainous Lower Kurram agency, bordering Afghanistan. They are active in the area and have also blocked several key routes./end