A suspected American missile strike killed five alleged militants early Thursday, an intelligence official said, the fourth attack in 24 hours as the US steps up the tactic to keep al Qaida and its allies under pressure. The barrage against houses and a vehicle in the mountains close to the Afghan border was one of the most intense since the attacks were stepped up more than two years ago.
Most are believed to be fired from unmanned, remote-controlled planes that can hover for hours above the area. The latest attack took place before dawn on a house close to a disused match factory a little more than a mile (three kilometers) west of Miran Shah town, a hub for local and international militants in the North Waziristan region, an intelligence official said.