Suspected U.S. drone strike kills four

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Pakistani security officials said a suspected U.S. drone missile strike Wednesday in a Taliban-haven tribal area killed at least four people.

Nine other people were wounded in the alleged incident in Khusali Toorikhel in North Waziristan, near the border with Afghanistan, long suspected to be a refuge of Taliban and al-Qaida militants, Geo TV reported.

Such alleged attacks in the region have affected relations between the United States and Pakistan. However, U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan have said militants holed up in the Pakistani tribal areas use them to launch attacks into Afghanistan.

The latest attack came after Pashtun tribesmen shot at three drones circling the village, the report said quoting security officials.

"After the drones came under fire a missile hit a house in the village. We have four dead now and another nine people were injured," a local security official was quoted as saying.

The United States has said it respects Pakistan's territorial integrity.

Separately, CNN quoted Pakistani military sources that U.S. military forces launched air strikes on a North Waziristan village, adding U.S. military sources couldn't immediately be reached for comment.