MIRAMSHAH, March 30: A US drone launched a missile attack on a militant compound in the tribal region near the Afghan border early on Friday, killing four insurgents, security officials said.

The missiles targeted a house in a market area of Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan, known as a stronghold of Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants, they said.

“Two missiles hit a house and four militants were killed,” a security official said. “The attack took place at about 3am.”

Witnesses said the attack triggered a fire which destroyed the building. The compound was located in the money changers’ market in the commercial district.

An intelligence official also put the toll at four dead and said two people were wounded. He said local people, including the Taliban, were engaged in rescue work.

Officials said the identity of the dead militants was not immediately known.

An AFP reporter said armed men, covering their faces with scarves, were seen collecting belongings including blood-stained clothes and documents from the rubble. Militants ringed the area and barred entry to the house.

The blast destroyed five shops including a bakery, three grocery shops and a telephone kiosk.

Pakistan wants drone strikes to stop, arguing that they are counter-productive because they kill civilians, exacerbate anti-US sentiment and violate sovereignty.—AFP