PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- A missile strike destroyed the compound of a suspected militant leader in Pakistan's tribal belt yesterday, killing at least 18 people, officials and residents said.
The Pakistani military disavowed responsibility for the strike in the South Waziristan tribal agency, raising the possibility that it was carried out by U.S. forces. American military officials in neighboring Afghanistan had no immediate comment, though U.S. troops are believed to have carried out similar attacks in recent months.
Maj. Chris Belcher, a U.S. military spokesman, said coalition forces conducted an operation yesterday across the border in Afghanistan's Paktika province. But he said he had no information about the Pakistan strike and doubted the incidents were related.
Aerial and cross-border attacks by the Americans are rarely acknowledged because of the sensitive issue of Pakistani sovereignty. But the U.S. military acknowledged responsibility for a cross-border missile strike last week that killed four Pakistani civilians, saying the attack had been aimed at militant leaders.
The target of yesterday's strike was not clear, though local officials said the compound was occupied by a pro-Taliban tribesman who went by the name Noorullah. The wrecked compound was a short distance to the south of Wana, the district's main town.
The rugged tribal areas bordering Afghanistan serve as a base for a number of groups affiliated with the Taliban and al-Qaida.
One local official described most of those killed in yesterday's strike as "Arabs," a term often used to describe foreign militants. U.S. attacks on suspected militant leaders, such as the raid that killed senior al-Qaida figure Abu Laith al-Libi in January, are sometimes carried out with aerial drones. Residents reported hearing an aircraft shortly before the missiles hit.
Pakistan's main military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, said Pakistani forces had not carried out any operations in the area.
Local officials said it did not appear that any women or children had died in yesterday's attack. Pakistani security sources said the compound was being used as a training camp.
The strike came a day after a bombing in the capital, Islamabad, that killed a female Turkish aid worker and injured 11 other people, five of them Americans. The restaurant that was hit was a popular gathering spot for expatriates, suggesting that militant groups may be shifting their attacks to target foreigners.
Western news agencies reported that militants loyal to pro-Taliban commander Baitullah Mahsud had claimed responsibility for the Islamabad blast.
Mahsud is blamed by Pakistani authorities for orchestrating dozens of attacks, including the suicide bombing that killed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December.
Zulfiqar Ali and Laura King write for the Los Angeles Times. The Associated Press contributed to this article.