10 militants dead in U.S. drone strike

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MIR ALI, Pakistan, May 24 (UPI) -- Ten suspected militants were killed Thursday in a U.S. drone strike on a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region, a security official said.

The Washington Post reported a house in Mir Ali was hit with two missiles early Thursday. The initial death toll of eight militants was later raised to 10. A security official in the area told the newspaper the deaths included five Central Asian nationals linked to al-Qaida.

A local tribesman said a mosque adjacent to the house was also damaged.

It was the second drone attack within 24 hours in North Waziristan, a militant stronghold for Taliban and al-Qaida leaders planning attacks in neighboring Afghanistan.

The use of unmanned aircraft to fight terrorism is a source of tension between the United States and Pakistan although Pakistani officials have privately supported the killing of al-Qaida and other militants, the Post said. The Pakistani public sees the drone strikes as an attack on Pakistan's sovereignty.