US drone hit kills 10 in South Waziristan

Suspected US unmanned aircraft fired missiles at a house in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing 10 alleged militants in the second such attack in less than 12 hours, Pakistani intelligence officials said.The strikes follow on the heels of the Obama administrations announcement that it was suspending more than one-third of US military aid to Pakistan because of strained ties. The two attacks indicate the White House has no intention of stopping a programme that has increasingly caused tension between the two countries.The house that was hit by four missiles early Tuesday morning was located in Dremala village in the South Waziristan tribal area, said the intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. The village is located close to the border with North Waziristan.On Monday night, a suspected US drone fired missiles at a house in Gorvak village in North Waziristan, killing 12 alleged militants, said Pakistani intelligence officials. The village is located very close to the Afghan border and is often used as a route for militants to cross into Afghanistan.Pakistan says its troops are stretched too thin by operations in other parts of the country, but many analysts believe the government is hesitant to cross militants with whom it has historical ties and could be useful allies in Afghanistan after foreign forces withdraw.In response, the Obama administration has dramatically increased drone strikes in North Waziristan over the past couple of years and has also hit areas in South Waziristan. The US refuses to publicly acknowledge the covert CIA drone programme in Pakistan, but officials have said privately that the strikes have killed senior Taliban and al-Qaida officials.Pakistan is widely believed to have supported the strikes in the past, even though officials often criticize them publicly as a violation of the countrys sovereignty. But that support has become less certain in recent months, especially following the covert US raid that killed al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden on May 2 in a Pakistani garrison town not far from Islamabad.