A missile strike against a suspected militant hideout in a Pakistan tribal region bordering Afghanistan on Sunday is said to have killed at least 18 people.

在巴基斯坦接近阿富汗的边境地区，星期天早上对一个部落地区内的疑似激进分子藏身地进行的导弹袭击，据信打死了至少16人。

The attack took place in Wana, the administrative center of the South Waziristan tribal region. Residents say the missile strike destroyed the house of a suspected militant tribal leader identified as Noorullah, and most of the deaths occurred immediately.

袭击发生在瓦纳，这是南瓦济里斯坦部落地区的行政中心。居民们说，导弹袭击摧毁了一个据怀疑是一名部落的激进派领导人的房屋，这名领导人叫努鲁拉，多数被导弹打死的人都是在攻击当时死亡的。

Local media reports there were foreign nationals, including some Arabs present in the compound when the attack took place.

当地媒体报导说，袭击发生时当地有外国人在场，其中包括一些阿拉伯人。

It is not clear who fired the missiles, but U.S-led coalition forces based in Afghanistan have in the past carried out attacks inside the Pakistani border region, a known safe haven for al-Qaida and Taliban militants.

目前还不清楚是谁发射的导弹，但是美国领导的驻阿富汗联军过去曾经对巴基斯坦边境地区进行过袭击，那里被外界称作是基地组织和塔利班激进分子的藏身地。

Officials of the coalition forces across the Afghan border have not commented on the incident.

在边界对面的联军官员还没有就这次事件发表评论。

Speaking to VOA, army spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas distanced the Pakistani military from the incident.

巴基斯坦陆军发言人阿塔尔.阿巴斯对美国之音表示，巴基斯坦军队和这次袭击无关。

"About five to six explosions were heard from this area of Wana," Abbas said. "And exactly what is the nature of the explosion, and whether there are casualties or not I have not got any confirmed information."

他说：“瓦纳地区传出了大约五至六次爆炸的声音，但是到底是什么爆炸，有没有人伤亡等等，我还没有得到任何经过证实的消息。”

General Abbas says a military team has been sent to the scene to investigate the blast.

阿巴斯将军说，军方小组已经被派往事发地点对爆炸进行调查。

A suspected U.S missile strike in January in the adjoining North Waziristan region killed a senior al-Qaida leader, Abu Laith al-Libi. The details of his death are still uncertain, but media reports at that time quoted un-named American officials as saying an un-manned CIA drone carried out the missile attack.

一次被怀疑是美国的导弹袭击在今年1月发生在与北瓦济里斯坦相连的地带，打死了一名基地组织高级领导人利比，他的死亡细节仍不能肯定。但是当时媒体的报导引述不愿透露姓名的美国官员的话说，一架无人驾驶的美国中央情报局的飞机执行了那次导弹袭击任务。

Pakistani authorities described that incident as an accidental explosion in a militant hideout and did not confirm the killing of al-Libi.

巴基斯坦当局称那次袭击是在激进分子藏身地的意外爆炸，没有证实利比被炸死。

Analysts say both Pakistan and the United States fear that any official confirmation of such missile strikes inside the Pakistani border may fuel anti-American sentiment.

分析人士说，巴基斯坦和美国都害怕证实这种在巴基斯坦边界境内的袭击，担心会引发民众的反美情绪。