Three killed in US missile strike

American drone-fired missiles killed three suspected Islamist militants near the Afghan border today, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The missiles struck a car in the Nargusa area of South Waziristan, which, like much of the border region, is home to al-Qaida and Taliban fighters.

The US routinely fires missiles at militants in the north-west.

Washington does not publicly acknowledge the programme or say whom it is targeting, but it is believed to strike at militants intent on crossing over the border into Afghanistan to fight US and Nato forces there.

The attacks also target al-Qaida fighters holed up in the rugged tribal area.

Today's attack was the first recorded missile strike in Pakistan since July 12.

The CIA-led programme is a source of tension between the US and Pakistan, which formally protests the missile strikes and says they fuel militancy in the region. Claims of civilian casualties in the strikes are not publicly investigated.