ISLAMABAD - SUSPECTED US missiles struck a Taleban-linked religious school in Pakistan's northwest and killed five people on Thursday, intelligence officials said.
The strike came hours after Parliament warned against 'incursions' on Pakistani soil in a resolution that also called for reviewing the national security strategy and making dialogue with certain militants the highest priority.
Four intelligence officials said the missiles had hit the school on the outskirts of Miran Shah, the main town in the militant-infested North Waziristan region. Relying on informants and agents in the area, two officials said at least five people were killed and two wounded.
The US is suspected in a barrage of recent missile strikes on militant hideouts in Pakistan's northwest.
The attacks signal Washington's impatience with Pakistan's efforts to root out militants allegedly involved in attacks on US forces across the border in Afghanistan.
The religious school belonged to a local pro-Taleban cleric, the intelligence officials said. The cleric has been linked to veteran Taleban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, considered a top foe of the United States, they said.
The intelligence officials gave the information based on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media.
The cross-border missile attacks have spurred frustration among Pakistani lawmakers, and the pro-US government has protested them as violations of the country's sovereignty as it seeks to build a national consensus on fighting the war on terror.
Late on Wednesday, Pakistan's Parliament called for a review of the nation's security strategy and talks with militants who meet certain conditions, but it stopped short of demanding a halt in anti-insurgent Pakistani military operations.
The 14-point resolution was adopted during an unusual, closed-door, joint session of Parliament called by the fledgling civilian government.
The resolution struck a careful, nuanced tone that appeared aimed at pleasing a range of lawmakers, in particular the opposition, and even to some extent the US, making it difficult to gauge what impact it will have.
Lawmakers hailed it as a sign of deepening democracy in Pakistan, which is still emerging from some eight years of military rule.
'This is a historic moment for the country as the nation's representatives unanimously adopted a resolution,' Information Minister Sherry Rehman said.
'This will definitely help to improve the situation and to rid the country of the menace of terrorism.'
The resolution calls for an 'independent foreign policy', a sign of wariness of American influence.
But it also states Pakistan will not let its soil be used for terrorist attacks elsewhere - an apparent nod to US complaints about militants hiding in northwest Pakistan.
The resolution alludes to the US missile attacks, stating that Pakistan 'stands united against any incursions and invasions of the homeland, and calls upon the government to deal with it effectively.'
While saying dialogue 'must now be the highest priority', it stipulates that talks should be pursued with those 'elements' willing to follow the constitution and the 'rule of law.'
The resolution does not call for a halt to military operations against insurgents.
It does say the state should re-establish authority in troubled zones, while using traditional mechanisms such as tribal councils to help bring peace.
The military can then be 'replaced' by civilian law enforcement agencies and 'a sustainable political system,' it says.
The Pakistani army is engaged in two major offensives in the northwest - one in the Swat Valley and one in the Bajur tribal area.
The latter has killed more than 1,000 militants, officials say. The US has praised the crackdowns while warning that peace deals simply let militants regroup.
Military efforts have failed to stem suicide and other militant attacks within Pakistan, violence that has further fed anger at the US in this nuclear-armed nation. -- AP
