US missile attack kills 5 in Pakistan as violence continues

The attack represents the latest in a barrage of such strikes against al-Qaida and Taliban militants that have sanctuary in the region for decades.

The identities of those killed is not as yet known.

In the same general area, four militants stormed a police complex, killing two officers.

Just across the border in Afghanistan, gunmen attacked tankers carrying fuel intended for NATO and US troops, wounding a driver and his assistant, police are reported to have said.

So far, at least 21 suspected U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan have taken place just this month. There were 21 such attacks in September, nearly double the previous monthly record.

The attacks are invariably carried out by unmanned drones that fly over the region for hours and equipped with extremely high-powered video cameras – tracking movement on the ground and striking at pre-planned targets or targets of opportunity.