At least 20 alleged militants were killed and two injured Tuesday in a suspected US drone attack in Pakistan's tribal region near the Afghan border, a security official said.
The airstrike occurred in Banga-e-Dar village of the Ghulam Khan area in North Waziristan, one of seven tribal districts and a known sanctuary of al-Qaeda-linked Islamic militants.
A senior security official said four missiles were fired at a compound and a vehicle.
'We have been informed by our intelligence that 15 people died on the spot while seven were injured. Five of the wounded later succumbed to their injuries,' the official said on condition of anonymity. 'Foreigners are said to have been the target of the attack.'
The term 'foreigner' is often used for Central Asian and Arab fighters associated with al-Qaeda.
The official said the area targeted by the pilotless aircraft is populated by the Mundeekhel tribe, which is believed to have given shelter to Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives under their custom of hospitality and unity with Muslim brothers.
The information can not be verified independently since the area is inaccessible for journalists and aid workers.
North Waziristan is a stronghold of the Haqqani militant group, which has been involved in cross-border attacks in Afghanistan on NATO-led foreign troops.
The United States has been putting pressure on Pakistan to take action against the group, which is allied with the Taliban.
But Pakistan says it has little resources to engage in a new battle when its 150,000 military and paramilitary troops are fighting Islamist insurgents in other north-western districts.
Pakistan publicly criticizes the drone attacks, saying they sow resentment and increase support for militants, but its intelligence agencies are believed to cooperate in identifying the targets.
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