Mortars allegedly fired from Afghanistan hit a house in a militant-infested area of Pakistan on Thursday, killing eight people, officials said. A pair of attacks elsewhere in the north-west killed four officers. The mortar attack occurred in Tity Mada Khel village in North Waziristan, part of Pakistan's lawless tribal area dominated by militants who regularly launch attacks against foreign troops in Afghanistan, according to intelligence officials.
The dead included five men and three women, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media. An additional 11 people were wounded in the attack, they said. The intelligence officials claimed the mortars were fired by Afghan or foreign forces in Afghanistan. Nato officials in Afghanistan said they were investigating the allegations.
The US has pressed Pakistan to launch an offensive against militants in North Waziristan, but the government has refused, saying its forces are stretched too thin in other parts of the tribal area. Many analysts believe Pakistan is reluctant to target militants with whom it has historical ties and could be useful allies in Afghani{tan after US-led forces withdraw.