An air strike by the U.S.-led coalition in Afghan-Pakistani border area on Saturday killed many people located in Pakistani tribal areas, the military and local reports said.

The military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad has confirmed that some shells landed in Pakistani territory in North Waziristan, killing nine people.

Pakistan has lodged strong protest with coalition forces in Afghanistan and sought explanation and in preliminary explanation, the spokesman said, adding that the coalition forces clarified that the attack was not intentional.

According to the spokesman, there had been overnight clashes between coalition forces and Taliban in Afghanistan's Paktika province and some rockets fell in the border area of Shawal in North Waziristan.

In another development, coalition planes dropped bombs in the border areas of South Waziristan tribal region, killing 20 people and injuring 40 others, according to private Geo Television.

em>Source: Xinhua