PESHAWAR:
A US drone strike targeting a vehicle in North Waziristan killed four militants on Tuesday, local security officials said.
The missile attack, the second in two days, took place near Qutub Khel village, five kilometres east of Miranshah, the main town in the restive North Waziristan district.
More than 20 US drone strikes have been reported in Pakistan since May 2, when US elite forces killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
“Two missiles were fired from a US drone targeting a militant vehicle. So far, four militants were killed,” a security official said.
Another security official in the area confirmed the attack and the toll.
In a strike on Monday two drone missiles killed at least four militants in South Waziristan. The US does not officially confirm predator drone attacks, but its military and the CIA operating in Afghanistan are the only forces that deploy the armed, unmanned aircraft in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2011.
COMMENTS (18)
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@TJ: You want the courts to decide who is a terrorist? Great - start by controlling and establishing the rule of law in FATA and arresting terrorist suspects! But wait, your country refuses to go into the tribal areas, disarm the terrorists and govern the area properly. If you cant police your own country, don't cry about courts and the rule of law when the victims of these terrorists clean up the mess themselves.
@MH: courts are here to decide who is terrorist or not! drone not decide
@MFHussain: Yes that is a big 'if' - isn't it? Do you think genocide or indiscriminate killing have ever resolved anything? Rather it always fuel further greivences, and that is the fact of life.
Yes, terrorism is bad, and there is no place for this in an Islamic country like Pakistan. However, in order to eradicate a problem like this, we need to have some vision at the top of our elite (which is unfortunately missing at present). Once you have a vision then you align your actions to support that vision so that its implementation is visible to masses. If you work without a vision then your day to day actions will be non-coherent and directionless, and will lead to further disharmony in the society/country.
One of the aspects of that vision could be a reform programme that could deliver true education of Islam to all sections of the society. This reform programme could also be linked to our education system, which should be made compulsory for all children in Pakistan. However, this would need a change in our priorities at the top, i.e., closing out loopholes of corruption and diverting those resources to programmes like this. But who can deliver this? Somone who has the vision that reflects the make-up of our society and can truely deliver on such reforms (with will and determination).
In the absence of a good vision and reforms, our nation will remain directionless and people will engage in such acts, as we are unable to provide them or show them the true alternative or the correct picture of Islam. However, just merely killing them wouldn't resolve anything.
Drone attacks are secret missions. So it is highly possible that not all of the news about these attacks reach us. There is a real need of courageous investigative reporting by the journalist community so that people can know the real story of these operations. Many aspects of these operations are not very clear to the outside world.
@MFHussain: Your statement obviously proves the ignorance. How can you be so sure that these drones are killing the terrorists? Drones have repeatedly killed many innocent people which has been proven before and yet this is your statement. We all detest terrorists but not by taking the other extreme. 2 extreme negatives don't make a positive but become -2.
The charge that innocents are being killed is a total lie. How many homes in a large residential city have ever been hit by drones? If the US were targeting innocent civilians they would have targeted large buildings in population centers like Al Qaida did in the US. Can anybody show evidence that the drones are hitting residential buildings in Pakistani population centers or large buldings with lot of people? Our army would not clean the terrorists out, so the drones are acting as the moderen birds (Ababils).
Who decide that those killed in strike were terrorists?
@ Sheikh If they are with the terrorist then they are not innocent. Its time to increase the drone strikes and kill as many of the terrorist. The US is doing Pakistan a favor
@M.Akthar: The majority of the Pakistani population is so gullible it's kind of sad. I'm not saying that in a hostile way. They'll believe just about anything as long as it doesn't reflect negatively on them. There's no shortage of examples on news sites, either.
@Sheikh: how many times and what have you adviced when the terrorists murder , not one but hundreds of innocent people on the streets. its just faishonable for people like you sport a politically correct statement.
Our Generals told us 'there will be no more droning'. Tribune has reported a while ago! What happened? The best bolitical party of pakistan is ARMY. They should stand in elections!
While politicians are busy killing people in karachi, national bird is busy & no one bothers! Maulvi Imran Khan also stopped drone dharna! May be, Gen Pasha told him to stop dharna! Now what?
Revolution, any takers?
A senior US Defence Department official recently expressed concern over the alleged “role of safe havens” for the Afghan Taliban and other “state sponsored militant organizations” in Pakistan, calling it a significant challenge for Washington. A few weeks ago a top Pakistani military commander acknowledged that the U.S drone strikes against militant hideouts have been an effective weapon in the anti-militancy fight
@Zafar... And if a single innocent is killed in this attack then also land a hellfire on Zafar,s home too.
Drone strikes are now needed against terrorists operating in Karachi while govt is helpless.
Awesome News. Congratulations. Wish you the greatest success against these terrorists in your future operations.