'US drone' crashes in Pakistan

A suspected US drone crashed in Pakistan’s lawless tribal area near the Afghan border today, intelligence officials and a local resident said.

They said the crash occurred in the Hamdhoni area of North Waziristan, some 2.5 miles (4km) north-west of the main town of Miran Shah.

Local resident Saudur Rehman said he heard gunfire just before he saw the drone crash and local tribesmen were congratulating each other for shooting it down.

A similar crash occurred in September 2008, but the Pakistani army denied claims by intelligence officials that troops and local people shot down the aircraft.

The army said it was a technical problem.