US Drone Strike Kills 3 Suspected Militants in Pakistan

An undated handout image courtesy of the U.S. Air Force shows an unmanned Predator drone.

Security officials in northwest Pakistan say a U.S. drone strike has killed at least three suspected militants.

Authorities say the missile strike Saturday happened in Miran Shah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region, a known hide-out for Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants.

Drone strikes have become an increasingly contentious issue between Washington and Islamabad. Relations between the them plunged into crisis after U.S. air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November, resulting in Pakistan shutting its Afghan border to NATO supplies.

Pakistan has demanded the U.S. apologize for the November air strike. Washington has refused.

Pakistan says the missile attacks are counter-productive, violate its sovereignty, often kill civilians and fuel anti-U.S. sentiment.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.