Bomb blast kills five near Pakistan militant base

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Two U.S. drone strikes on northwest Pakistan killed a senior Taliban commander who fought American forces in Afghanistan but had a truce with the Pakistani military, intelligence officials said Thursday. The commander, Maulvi Nazir, was among nine people killed in a missile strike on a house in the village of Angoor Adda in the South Waziristan tribal region near the border with Afghanistan late Wednesday night, five Pakistani security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

A bomb attack at a mosque in Pakistan's city of Peshawar killed two people and wounded 11 others as worshippers filed out after the main Friday Muslim prayers, officials said.The planted bomb detonated in a congested neighbourhood on the western outskirts of the city on the Muslim day of rest.The northwestern city, which neighbours the wild tribal belt on the Afghan border, has been hard hit by attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda-linked militants and Taliban opposed to the government's alliance with the United States.

A US drone missile attack Tuesday killed at least five suspected militants in the 11th such strike targeting Pakistan's northwest Taliban strongholds this month, security officials said.The missiles pounded a militant compound in a village 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region.Pakistan's lawless tribal belt runs along the Afghan border and Washington has branded it the most dangerous place in the world, rife with Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants plotting attacks on Western targets.

A US missile strike on a militant compound in Pakistan's tribal district on the Afghan border killed four rebels on Saturday, local security officials said.The strike took place in the village of Essori, 20 kilometres (13 miles) east of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district, which is known as a hub of Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants."One missile fired from a US drone struck a militant compound in the village killing at least four rebels," a senior Pakistani security official in the area told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A US missile strike on a militant compound in Pakistan's tribal district on the Afghan border killed at least 10 rebels on Wednesday, local security officials said.The attack took place in Dandey Darpakhel village, five kilometres (three miles) northwest of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district, which is a renowned hub for Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants.

Missiles fired from a US drone aircraft slammed into a militant training camp in Pakistan's northwest tribal belt on Thursday, killing at least 10 people, security officials said.The attack took place in Pasalkot village in North Waziristan, a stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants, and was the seventh suspected US missile attack in the tribal district this month."At least 10 people were killed in the missile strike," a senior security official said, adding that four missiles were fired from the unmanned plane.

Three missiles fired by US drone aircraft killed five militants Monday in Pakistan's northwest tribal belt, a bastion of Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked fighters, security officials said.The attack happened in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, a militant stronghold near the Afghan border."Five people have been killed and three wounded in the attack. It was an American drone attack," an intelligence official in Miranshah told AFP by telephone.

A US drone missile attack killed three militants in Pakistan's tribal belt on the Afghan border Friday, destroying a militant compound, Pakistani officials said.The attack took place in Zanini village near the town of Mir Ali, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) east of Miranshah, the main town of restive North Waziristan tribal district."US drones fired four missiles at a militant compound and according to initial information at least three militants were killed," a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.