Unclaimed missile hits compound in Pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Pakistani leaders disavowed any knowledge yesterday of a missile strike in a volatile border area where the United States previously has targeted Al Qaeda figures - the first attack of its kind since the new government took power six weeks ago.
The strike late Wednesday in the Bajur tribal region raised concerns in Pakistan that the Bush administration might be seeking to hunt down senior Al Qaeda figures while the Pakistani leadership that took office in late March seeks to negotiate a truce with militants in the tribal areas.
Such an accord could complicate the staging of strikes inside Pakistani territory, which were previously carried out with the tacit consent of US-backed President Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf's party was defeated in February's parliamentary elections, and although he remains in office, his powers have been curtailed by his victorious opponents, who have expressed qualms about such actions on Pakistani soil.
American military officials in Afghanistan said they had no information on the strike against a compound in Damadola village, a known militant stronghold close to the Afghanistan border. The wrecked compound lies close to the site of an attack in 2006 that was aimed at Al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahri, who escaped that strike.
Local residents said that just before this week's attack, they saw and heard what they believed was a pilotless aircraft. American strikes against militants sheltering in Pakistan's tribal areas are often carried out using unmanned drones armed with missiles.
A Pakistani government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said it was believed that a mid-level Al Qaeda official might have been killed in the strike. Local officials said at least seven people died; some reports put the toll at 18, including civilians.
