Officials said a suicide bomber struck a restaurant in northwestern Pakistan Thursday, killing 11 people.
Pakistan's Taliban movement claimed responsibility for the attack in the town of Jandola in South Waziristan. At least 20 other people were injured.
Pakistani intelligence officials said the attack targeted pro-government militants opposed to local Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
The U.S. State Department has posted a $5 million reward for information leading to the location or arrest of Mehsud. He is considered a key al-Qaida operative and is accused of plotting the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
A suspected U.S. missile hit two vehicles in Mehsud's territory on Wednesday in South Waziristan, killing at least seven people, including foreign fighters. A second missile strike was reported Thursday, killing four people in North Waziristan, near the town of Mir Ali.
The violence comes as the Obama administration prepares to unveil its new strategy to fight rising violence in neighboring Afghanistan. A key part of the plan is boosting efforts to locate terrorist sanctuaries across the border in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported U.S. and Pakistani officials are coming up with a new list of targets for future strikes in the border region.
The report said Pakistani officials want to hit extremists who are carrying out attacks on Pakistanis.
Pakistan routinely condemns the suspected U.S. strikes as counterproductive and a violation of its territorial sovereignty. But officials said Pakistan believes these new, focused strikes could win the support of many Pakistanis.
Pakistan's Taliban movement claimed responsibility for the attack in the town of Jandola in South Waziristan. At least 20 other people were injured.
Pakistani intelligence officials said the attack targeted pro-government militants opposed to local Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
The U.S. State Department has posted a $5 million reward for information leading to the location or arrest of Mehsud. He is considered a key al-Qaida operative and is accused of plotting the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
A suspected U.S. missile hit two vehicles in Mehsud's territory on Wednesday in South Waziristan, killing at least seven people, including foreign fighters. A second missile strike was reported Thursday, killing four people in North Waziristan, near the town of Mir Ali.
The violence comes as the Obama administration prepares to unveil its new strategy to fight rising violence in neighboring Afghanistan. A key part of the plan is boosting efforts to locate terrorist sanctuaries across the border in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported U.S. and Pakistani officials are coming up with a new list of targets for future strikes in the border region.
The report said Pakistani officials want to hit extremists who are carrying out attacks on Pakistanis.
Pakistan routinely condemns the suspected U.S. strikes as counterproductive and a violation of its territorial sovereignty. But officials said Pakistan believes these new, focused strikes could win the support of many Pakistanis.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
