Six killed in second drone attack in Pakistan

Islamabad: US drones hit Pakistan's tribal region for a second time in as many days, killing six suspected militants in a targetted missile attack.

The drones fired two missiles at two vehicles in North Waziristan, a day after the attacks resumed following a lull of two months in the aftermath of the deadly NATO strike that had killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and made ties with the

country take a huge plunge.

The exact identity of those killed could not be immediately ascertained.

This was the second drone attack in the tribal region in two days. Wednesday's early morning attack had killed four militants in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency.

A US media report had recently quoted officials as saying that terror groups like al-Qaeda were taking advantage of the lull as they regroup and threaten allied forces in the region.

The latest drone attacks are the first since November last year after they were suspended reportedly to avoid worsening relations with Islamabad following the November 26 NATO raid.

The November strike by NATO helicopters had triggered an outrage in Pakistan and aggravated tensions in an already shaky relationship with Washington, prompting Islamabad to block NATO supplies into Afghanistan and forcing the US to vacate Shamsi airbase, reportedly used by CIA-operated drones.

The US drone campaign has reportedly killed dozens of top al-Qaeda operatives and hundreds of low-ranking fighters in Pakistan since the campaign started in 2004.