It was part of a series of attacks targeting presumed militants, and was carried out by a United States Air Force drone aircraft.

Missile strikes have traditionally provoked an outpouring of public resentment that Musharraf's political opponents used to help drive him from power.

Many of those opponents are now seated in the new government – giving it broader political support and fewer high-profile critics.

I think the government really is not concerned much about the domestic fallout because there is no leader who would challenge its position or who would rally people around him and launch a country-wide protest.

The upsurge in strikes alarmed Pakistani military and government officials, who said it seriously undermined their counter-insurgency operations.