Suspected U.S. missiles kill 4 in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- A suspected U.S. missile strike killed four alleged insurgents yesterday in a militant stronghold near the Afghan border, intelligence officials said.

The two Pakistani officials said a pair of missiles hit a vehicle close to Mir Ali town in North Waziristan. The area is home to militants from the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban and foreign Islamist fighters.

Pakistan's army has not launched an offensive in North Waziristan, meaning militants there have an effective safe haven. The United States routinely fires missiles at militant targets, drawing Pakistani government criticism.

Also yesterday, violence continued in Karachi, where gunmen killed four more people. Sharfuddin Memon, a provincial government adviser on security, said the four were gunned down in a busy neighborhood where several key police facilities are located. At least 85 people have been killed in Karachi in the past week.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the city's most powerful political party, said It will observe a general strike Tuesday to protest the violence, urging traders to shut down businesses and transporters to take vehicles off the road. -- AP