9 Al-Qaeda members killed in drone attack in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Nine Al-Qaeda members have been killed in a U.S. drone attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan, local TV channels reported Tuesday.

A suspected U.S. drone Monday night fired five missiles against a hotel near Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan, killing at least nine persons and injuring several others.

Initial reports on Monday suggested that five missiles were fired hitting a compound in Malay Khan Serai area.

The private ARY News reported that the target of the attack was a hotel in the area where a meeting of Al-Qaeda members was being held. In the attack nine persons were killed, including six Arabs, two Uzbeks and one Pakistani.

Local authorities had confirmed the attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan, a volatile tribal area bordering South Waziristan, hometown of Tehrek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership, on one side and Afghanistan on the other. However, they said nothing about the fresh reports about killing of nine Al-Qaeda militants.

A CIA base was attacked in south Afghanistan killing seven U.S. intelligence operatives last year. The attack was allegedly attributed to Haqqani network of militants believed to be based in North Waziristan tribal areas.

The U.S. believed that Haqqani network that have connections with Al-Qaeda is responsible for the ongoing unrest in Afghanistan. Leadership of the network is apparently target of such attacks.