U.S drone strike kills 10 in NW Pakistan: TV

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. drone strike in northwest Pakistan's tribal region killed at least 10 persons on Thursday, local TV channels reported.

Drone aircraft fired two missiles on a religious seminary and a house in South Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border.

The missiles were fired at a time when the U.S special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke is visiting Pakistan.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday told the U.S envoy that expansion in drone strikes would be strongly opposed.

The U.S regularly fire missiles on the suspected hideouts of the militants in Waziristan region, which the U.S considers as the stronghold of the militants.

The U.S officials say that militants plan and organize attacks in Waziristan and cross into Afghanistan for fight against foreign troops.

Reports said that American drone hit a seminary and house at Sararogha area of Wazirisran, once the stronghold of Pakistani Taliban. The security forces are now in full control of Sararogha and the whole local population has already left the area.

Founder of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Baitullah Mehsood was killed in a U.S drone strike in South Waziristan in August 2009 with his wife.