At least 12 suspected militants were killed and several others injured in a US drone strike in South Waziristan Agency of north western tribal region on Sunday.
Sources said that the unmanned plane fired 10 missiles on three hideouts of suspected militants in the Babrgarh area, borders with war-turn Afghanistan, killing 12 people and injuring several others.
This was second attack in South Waziristan during first week of new year, as ealier key commander of Pakistan Taliban Mullah Nazir was among four suspected militants killed in a missile attack in the lawless tribal agency on Thursday.
The covert US drone strikes are publicly criticised by the Pakistani government as a violation of sovereignty but American officials believe they are a vital weapon in the war against Islamist militants.
A report commissioned by legal lobby group Reprieve in September estimated that between 474 and 881 civilians were among 2,562 to 3,325 people killed by drones in Pakistan between June 2004 and September 2012.
