The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Miranshah

Pakistani villagers collected body parts of at least 20 people, including several suspected Arab militants, killed by a U.S. missile strike on a house in a northwestern tribal area, intelligence officials said on Saturday.

A pilotless drone aircraft launched the attack late on Friday in the village of Mohammad Khel, 30 km (20 miles) west of Miranshah in North Waziristan, a known sanctuary of al Qaeda and Taliban militants.

"We now have a figure of 20 that includes eight residents of the house, five other locals and seven foreigners," an intelligence official said while speaking on condition of anonymity.

The foreigners appeared to be Arabs, although their nationalities were unknown, the official said.

The News newspaper reported that the strike was carried out based on information that the foreigners had been invited to a feast by pro-Taliban tribesmen following the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

There were no indications that any of those killed were regarded by U.S. counterterrorism agencies as top tier al Qaeda targets, sources said.

A army spokesman said on Saturday that there had been an explosion in the area, but was unable to confirm the cause.