US drone strike kills five Haqqani terrorists in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: At least five militants belonging to the dreaded Haqqani network have been killed in a US drone strike on their hideout in Pakistan's tribal region, officials said today.

The pilotless aircraft operated by the CIA fired two missiles at a compound last night in Alwara Mandi area of Datta Khel in North Waziristan.

A security official said that the compound was destroyed and five militants hiding there were killed.

"Those killed were members of Haqqani Network militant group," he said on anonymity.

The death toll could not be verified through independent sources as the area is out of reach of journalists.

North Waziristan has been a hub for Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants since the early 2000s.

Reacting to the drone strikes, the Foreign Office in a statement condemned the attack.

The latest strikes "are in disregard of our territorial sovereignty and international law.", the statement said today.

"These events also generate distrust among the local populace. We reiterate our call for cessation of such strikes," it said.

The Haqqani network is a militant group which is against US-led NATO forces and Afghanistan.

The Haqqani network, which is linked to al-Qaeda has also been blamed for several deadly attacks against Western and Indian interests in Afghanistan, including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul.

Though the Haqqani network was allied with Taliban, it carried out its operations independently.

Nine militants were earlier killed on June 6 in a US drone strike in North Waziristan tribal region.