UPDATE 4-Suspected U.S. strike kills 5 militants in Pakistan

(Releads with Arab al Qaeda operative among dead)

By Alamgir Bitani

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A suspected U.S. drone aircraft fired two missiles at a house in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five suspected militants, possibly including an Arab al Qaeda operative, intelligence officials said.

The al Qaeda fighter was identified as Abdullah Azam al-Saudi by an intelligence official based in Dera Ismail Khan, hours after the missile attack in Janikhel tribal area of neighbouring Bannu district in North West Frontier Province. "He used to coordinate between al Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan, and had also been responsible for recruiting people," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

There was no other corroboration that the Arab al Qaeda fighter had been killed.

Janikhel is not part of one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal regions, but borders Waziristan -- a militant hotbed where suspected U.S. drone aircraft have launched a series of missile strikes in recent months.

A senior government official, Abdul Hameed, said Wednesday's pre-dawn missile attack was also launched by a drone aircraft. Missile-armed drones are primarily used by U.S. forces in the region, though the United States seldom confirms drone attacks. Pakistan does not have any drones.

Intelligence officials had said earlier four fighters, believed to be Turkmen, were killed in the attack. A resident said Taliban fighters cordoned off the area after the missile attack.

Many Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, including Arabs, Chechens, Turkmen, Uzbeks and other Central Asians, fled to Pakistan's tribal lands after a U.S.-led military invasion toppled Afghanistan's Taliban government in late 2001.