US drone strike kills five German militants

A US drone missile strike killed five German militants sheltering in a house in north-western Pakistan yesterday, intelligence officials said.

The attack hit a house in North Waziristan. That region has been named as the source of a European terror plot that has prompted Britain, the US and Japan to issue cautionary travel advice to their tourists.

One or more German citizens are reported to be linked to the plot.

The missile strike took place in the town of Mir Ali, a known hub for foreign militants with links to al-Qaeda.

Two Pakistani officers said the five victims were believed to be German citizens in the region for terrorist training.

A third said they were believed to be foreigners, but gave no details.

Killing so many foreign militants in a single strike would be unusual.

US officials rarely confirm the identities of those who are being targeted by the CIA-led missile campaign.

Information given by intelligence officials is sometimes found to be false. More often than not it is never confirmed or denied. Sometimes militant organisations announce the names of those killed, but typically not for weeks or months.

Last month, American spy drones carried out 21 missile attacks in northwestern Pakistan, more than twice the highest number in any previous month over the last six years.