13 die as rockets hit vehicle in tribal area

Thirteen people died when a rocket hit a private vehicle in a tribal area of Pakistan near the Afghan border where army troops have surrounded 500 die-hard al Qaeda fighters, an official said.
"Thirteen people were killed when a rocket aimed at Pakistani troops missed its target and hit private vehicles in the area behind the military positions," tribal areas security chief Brigadier Mehmood Shah told AFP.
Shah said the dead included five women, five men and three children, while seven others were injured.
He rejected reports that the civilians were killed by Pakistan army fire.
He said that incident in the north-western South Waziristan area occurred at 4.30 pm and the army helicopter flights over the area had stopped half an hour ago.
"There is no possibility that a helicopter fire caused the casualties," Shah said.