A suspected U.S. drone missile strike on Wednesday killed at least six
militants in a semi-autonomous tribal region bordering Afghanistan --
the third such assault in 24 hours.
Some foreign militants are suspected to be among the dead in the attack
in North Waziristan's main town of Miran Shah, a stronghold of Taliban
and al-Qaida militants.
In Washington, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to
triple non-military aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year for the next
five years, in an effort to counter extremism.
The aid package is designed to launch various development projects,
including efforts to improve education, democratic institutions, human
rights and conditions for women and children.
The bill says Pakistan must prevent groups from carrying out
cross-border attacks into neighboring countries, must close terrorist
camps in tribal areas, and must dismantle terrorist bases in other
areas.
Last week, the Senate approved the same bill. It now needs the signature of President Barack Obama to become law.
The expanded aid comes on top of at least $12 billion in economic and
security assistance that Washington has given Islamabad since the
al-Qaida terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11,
2001.