Islamabad - Up to 84 people were killed on Wednesday in separate incidents of violence, including suspected missile strikes by United States forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, and sectarian violence and clashes between Islamic militants in Pakistan, security officials and media reports said Wednesday. At least seven people were killed and five injured when missile strikes targeted a hideout of Islamic militants in the Zerilor area of Wana, the main town of tribal district South Waziristan.
"Two missiles hit a compound visited regularly by 'Arab mujahidin' - a term used by the locals referring to al-Qaeda terrorists - at around 19:00 PST (12:00 GMT)," said a security official.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the house that was completely demolished by the attack belonged to Yaqub Mughal, who was also injured in the incident.
"The missiles were fired from Afghan province of Paktika," he claimed, adding that it was not clear how many al-Qaeda fighters were among the killed and injured.
Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said he did not know about the missile strike but he was aware that "some explosion has occurred in the area," the usual kind of statement that comes from the Pakistani Army after an attack from Afghanistan.
Mughal is believed to be a follower of a hardcore pro-Taliban tribal commander, Mullah Nazir, whose hideout near Wana was hit by missiles, possibly fired from an unmanned US aircraft, on August 13.
More than 10 people, including some suspected al-Qaeda members, died in the airstrike.
US forces in Afghanistan have launched several missile strikes this year in Pakistan's tribal area, which has been a sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaeda militants launching cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.
Al-Qaeda's chemical weapons expert Abu Khabab al-Masri, also known as Midhat Mursi, was killed in a similar strike in South Waziristan on July 28.
Separately, 34 people, including 15 militants and five security personnel, were killed in ongoing clashes between the Taliban and government forces in Bajaur tribal district, where more than 300,000 people have been diplaced by the fighting.
Urdu-language Aaj news channel reported while quoting official sources that the clash occurred when a group of militants attacked a paramilitary Frontier Constabulary's check post in the Matak area of Charmang. Ten militants were killed by return of fire from the security personnel, they claimed.
Meanwhile helicopter gunships targeted militants' hideouts in Damadola, Badaan, Haji Long, Inayat Kalay, Siddiqabad and other areas, local residents told the news channel.
Militants handed over 14 corpses of security officials killed in the conflict to a tribal jirga (assembly) in the Luisum area.
Meanwhile, English-language DawNews channel said 43 people have been killed and dozens more injured in the conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslim tribesmen in the nearby Kurram tribal district, where the death toll reached around 250 in two-week running battles between the sides.
