US missile strike in Pakistan hit al-Qaeda nest

A suspected US missile strike that killed up to 13 foreign militants in Pakistan's North Waziristan region this week had targeted second or third tier al-Qaeda leaders, according to residents in the tribal area.

Initial reports said 10 people were killed in the attack on Monday on a house in Torkhali village near the town of Mir Ali. An intelligence official, however, told Reuters on Thursday that based on information gleaned from tribal contacts there were seven Arabs and six Central Asians killed. (Reuters)