Suspected US drones have fired missiles into a Pakistani tribal region, killing 12 people.
Five foreigners were among those killed in the attack on an area known as a stronghold of Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud.
Pakistani officials said the missiles targeted a house in a remote village on the border between North and South Waziristan, where Mehsud, an al-Qaeda ally, has been trapped by Pakistani forces since early this year.
Frustrated by fighters from Pakistan fuelling the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and fearful of al-Qaeda regrouping, US forces have intensified missile attacks by pilotless drones since early September.
"We have reports that 12 people were killed, including five foreigners," a paramilitary official said.
It was unclear if the dead foreigners included Arabs, which usually signifies an al-Qaeda presence.
