WANA, Pakistan: Missile strikes by suspected US drone aircraft killed 10 militants in Pakistan's South Waziristan on Wednesday, intelligence officials said, in an operation bound to deepen tensions in the region. The United States has stepped up its campaign to hit militants in Pakistan since American special forces killed Osama Bin Laden in a secret raid in a Pakistani town last month. Intelligence officials and residents said two missiles hit a compound belonging to a group headed by Maulvi Nazir that crosses the Afghan border to attack US troops in Afghanistan. “There was a huge blast and we can see smoke rising from the compound,” said a witness in Wana, South Waziristan's main town. Seven militants were killed in the compound, a local intelligence official said. Missiles targeted a vehicle used by militants in the same area, killing three. There was no way to independently verify the incident. Militants often dismiss official death tolls. South Waziristan has witnessed an escalation of drone strikes this month, including in areas controlled by Nazir. Sixty-one militants have been killed since June 3, according to a Reuters count. Unlike the Pakistani Taliban, Nazir's group is not opposed to the US-backed government. His commanders have said they will intensify their campaign to help drive US-led NATO forces out of Afghanistan if the drone strikes on their turf continue.
