al Qaida Fortress Like Compound Destroyed

An unmanned predator drone fired 7 missiles at a fortress like compound in Pakistan. The compound was known for as a hub for foreign fighters, 8 foreigners are suspected killed in the blasts. Fox News

MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan — Missiles that witnesses say came from an unmanned drone flattened a suspected militant safehouse Sunday in Pakistan's tribal area along the Afghan border. State television said the strike killed about 20 people.

Witnesses said a drone dropped seven missiles on the sprawling, mud-brick compound about three miles outside Wana, the main town in South Waziristan. Only U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan are known to operate unmanned drones in the region, and they have launched attacks over the Pakistani border before.

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Witnesses, state TV and intelligence officials said the destroyed building belonged to a local militant leader and Taliban sympathizer who goes by the single name Noorullah.

State-run Pakistan Television said about 20 people were killed. It was unclear whether Noorullah was among them.

Rahim Khan, a local tribesman who went to the site, said the huge, fortress-like compound was known as a hub for visiting foreign militants. Eight of those killed were foreigners, two intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity because of the nature of their work. They did not elaborate.

The Pakistani military said there were five or six explosions that caused casualties.
Maj. Chris Belcher, a U.S. military spokesman, said coalition forces conducted an operation Sunday just across the border in Afghanistan's Paktika province. But he said he had no information about the Pakistan strike and doubted the two incidents were related.