Officials: US missiles kill 15 in NW Pakistan [View All]

Officials: US missiles kill 15 in NW Pakistan
By RASOOL DAWAR
Associated Press Writer
Jun 11, 7:08 AM EDT

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) -- A volley of U.S. missiles killed 15 alleged militants in an extremist stronghold in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, the second such strike in less than 12 hours, officials said.

The Obama administration regards missile attacks from drone aircraft as a key weapon against al-Qaida and the Taliban close to the Afghan border. Last month, al-Qaida's reputed No. 3 official, Mustafa al-Yazid, was reported killed in a similar strike in the North Waziristan region.

Six missiles were fired in Friday's attack on a house in a village close to the border, two intelligence officers said. They were not authorized to give their names.

Yousaf Khan, a government administrator in the region's main town of Miran Shah, said 15 alleged militants were killed.

He said officers were still gathering information about the identities of the victims.