Suspected U.S. drone kills 3 militants in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — A pair of missiles launched by a suspected U.S. drone killed at least three foreign militants in an abandoned seminary near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan on Saturday, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

Two militants were also wounded in the strike in Mussaki village in North Waziristan, the officials said, adding that militants from Turkmenistan or China were among those at the seminary but the nationality of those killed was not immediately known.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

North Waziristan is a tribal region home to a mix of Pakistani, Afghan and al-Qaida-linked foreign militants.

The U.S. drone program has caused extreme tension between Pakistan and the United States. Washington says it needs to use the unmanned aircraft because Pakistan refuses to engage fighters militarily.

In a statement, Pakistan’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes, calling them “unilateral” and a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Pakistan has repeatedly emphasized the importance of bringing an immediate end to drone strikes,” it said, describing the policy as counter-productive and responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians.

“Such strikes also set dangerous precedents in the inter-state relations,” it added.