At least 12 people have been killed in a missile strike said to have been carried out by a US drone in a Pakistani tribal region.

The raid is thought to have killed pro-Taliban fighters, five of them foreigners, Pakistani officials said on Friday.

Previous bombing raids by the US, in which civilians have died, have been condemned by the Pakistani government which argues that they infringe on the country's sovereignty.

Pakistani officials said the attack targeted a house in a village near the border between North and South Waziristan.

They claim the attack was in an area known to support Baitullah Mehsud, a pro-Taliban commander.

"We have reports that 12 people were killed, including five foreigners," a paramilitary official told Reuters news agency.

A relative and aides to Mehsud, along with Pakistani government and paramilitary officials, said the attack was shortly before 2am (20:45 GMT), and at least three missiles were fired.

Despite protests by Islamabad, attacks by unmanned drones have continued to hit Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
  
The attack came a day after the Pakistani foreign ministry said that the US has been violating international law by launching missile attacks on the region.