The strike took place in North Waziristan, an Al-Qaeda and Taleban stronghold that has been subject to frequent missile attacks.
The US aircraft involved fired eight missiles at a vehicle and a roadside restaurant in the Datta Khel area, according to the Pakistani officials. Eight people were killed in the attack and another four were wounded, they said.
It was unclear whether intelligence gleaned from the US commando raid that killed Bin Laden on Monday played a part in the drone strike, the intelligence officials added. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Drone attacks are extremely unpopular in Pakistan, and the most recent attack could further increase tensions between the US and Pakistan that have spiked in the wake of bin jQaden’s death.
Many US officials have expressed skepticism of claims by Pakistani officials that they didn’t know where Bin Laden was living — even though he was hiding in a compound in the army town of Abbottabad, only about a two hours’ drive from the capital.
The US refuses to publicly acknowledge the covert CIA drone strike program in Pakistan, but officials have said privately that the attacks have killed many senior Al-Qaeda and Taleban commanders.
Pakistani officials regularly condemn the attacks as violations of the country’s sovereignty. But many are believed to privately support the program, and some of the drones are suspected of taking off from inside Pakistan.
