Anger after apparent U.S. missile strike in Pakistan

By Sahibzada Bahauddin

DAMADOLA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Angry residents of a Pakistani village on the Afghan border stopped government officials on Thursday from approaching the ruins of a house struck by missiles suspected to have been fired by a U.S. drone.

Eighteen people including foreign militants were killed when two missiles hit a house in the village of Damadola in the Bajaur tribal region, where Islamist militants have been known to operate, on Wednesday evening, a security official said.

A spokesman for Pakistani Taliban militants said the strike was aimed at derailing peace talks with the new government.

A senior government official said the strike had apparently targeted a mid-level, Arab al Qaeda member, who had been killed.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, asked about an attack apparently carried out by the United States, said: "I strongly condemn this. It's absolutely wrong. It's unfair. They should not have done this action."

"Several innocent people have been killed. We condemn it," Gilani said, according to a transcript of an interview with Pakistan's ARY OneWorld Television to be broadcast later on Thursday.

The strike was the first since the new government was formed about six weeks ago but the fourth this year.

Neither U.S. nor Pakistani authorities officially confirm U.S. missile attacks on Pakistani territory, which would be an infringement of Pakistani sovereignty and are unpopular with many Pakistanis who oppose the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism.

A Pakistani military spokesman said there had been a blast but the military had not determined the cause.

In January 2006, a CIA-operated drone Predator aircraft fired missiles at a house in Damadola in the belief al Qaeda leader bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al Zawahri, was visiting.

He was not there and at least 18 people died in the strike, several of them believed to have been al Qaeda members.

Earlier this year, U.S.-controlled Predator aircraft struck at least three sites used by al Qaeda operatives in northwest Pakistan, killing dozens of suspected militants.

"BARBARIC"

In Wednesday's strike, the house, which residents said belonged to an ethnic Pashtun tribesman, and an adjoining mosque were almost completely destroyed.

Crowds gathered at the scene and a district government official said angry villagers had stopped and turned away his men who had tried to approach.