The missiles were fired at a house in the Spalga area some 12km from Miranshah, said an official. “At least nine militants were killed,” he said, adding that the building was completely destroyed.
Local sources told The Express Tribune that at around 6:50am, a huge explosion was heard. They said that those killed were “not residents” of the area. The view was shared by intelligence officials who said that there was a possibility that the men killed were from Punjab. However, there was no independent or immediate confirmation about the identities of those killed.
The strike, fifth this year, comes amid reports in the international media that the US is considering a formal apology over the Salala check-post attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
COMMENTS (36)
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Something that is most important not being discussed by anyone here i.e. US has lost its war in Afghanistan and trying to blame Pakistan for its failure. evidence of US failure in Afghanistan: US is negotiating with these 'murderers' (according to CIA, not to many), and meanwhile attacking into Pakistani territory using drones technology to destabilize Pakistan, in similar way as they did in Afghanistan.
@Watch man: but u r being hit daily by local extremists.
In keeping with many others . . . thank you, USA. The drones are doing Pakistan a favor and should continue their good work until these murderous militants are brought to their knees. To all those well meaning but misguided souls who are so worried about Pakistan's sovereignty - where were you when the Taliban violated that sovereignty by indiscriminately killing civilians in crowded places?
It never ceases to amaze me that almost everyone from Imran Khan to my milkman (and I dont know which of them is more ill informed), seem to believe, without any facts or figures that the drones are targeting innocent civilians. For one thing, if they are, then why is the jihadi mafia so worried about it? Killing innocent civilinas, 35000 to be exact, has never pushed them to hold a single anti taliban rally? But on a more factual plane, I advise those interested in facts to look up Dr. Farhat Taj's survey of FATA persons about the drones. This is the only study done on the matter to my knowledge. It may interest some of you to learn that the overwhelming majority supported the attacks as relieving them of the terror of the AlQaeda and their local affiliates. Their is no issue of sovereignty involved here. we lost our sovereignty of the area in 2003-4 to these scum and now the US and Pakistan are in agreement, to retrieve it by eliminating these terrorists. Public posturing by Pak officials notwithstanding, not a single drone has ever been shot down nor even attempted to be shot down.THINK!
@marty
We should admire such nice job done by even Indians. We are incapable to eliminate terrorists from our soil, hence this is being done by Allah Almighty through non-Muslim powers. We should keep in mind the famous verses of Al-Baqra.:
Thanks a lot you Drones. You finish off some more terrorists who will otherwise do bomb blasts in our markets, mosques, Dagahs, and Hujraas. We, pukhtuns, call it Ababeel as it exactly target the militants and save the people of that area from terrorists. Thanks USA and thanks Obama for helping us.
Thanks US and Drones for wiping out these militants from our land. Thanks a lot and we think you are doing a great service of the people of Pakistan for killing those guys who do bomb blasts in Peshawar, Lahore and Kabul.
We are loosing our sovereignty. It is notes a shame for us to call militants militants who belong the country Pakistan, or are Pakistanis, but other leaving drones in the country Pakistan is a lost of sovereignty, at least nominal sovereignty.
Vienna,February 08,2012 Boys,the proof is the pudding.Pakistan should realize it can not get away with "offensive difense " policy against the rest of the world.Come on close your borders against all neighbours.Inport terrorist guests under your sovereign will to take all the pounding as pudding. Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring TTTMM Indida --Kulamarva Balakrishna
America has lost the war in Afghanistan but has won the hearts of many of the ET readers; Pakistani Liberal Extremists is what i like to call them. They are stuck in the year 2001 and still think America is the great savior and are over estimating the amount of terrorism that is actually taking place. Ignorance is a theme that unites us across the globe.
By the way why don't Pakistan remove the the reason for drone attacks. If that is done US would have no justification in conducting drone strikes. At least managing that part of Pakistan is in Pakistan's hand if not the drone strikes themselves
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: You keep asking the same question and CIA gives you the same answer. Do you think they would target civilians just for the heck of it? Come on, man ! Let's be fair here.
@sharjeel memon: and they must target their home first as your preaching hatered and biasdness.
Why is our govt allowing these attacks from out of our country?
@workforce: you better try that to yourself or ask militants to do.
God bless the Drones
Who is responsible for this loss if ultimately it is established that they were not terrorists. After all a drone is an manned device and its controller, sitting miles away can only see the television images.
Well. This is sad news indeed. Some people are happy that these drones are removing religious extremists. They just need to learn that we need to keep our house in order by ourselves. They must also remember thar Once these religious extremists were American allies. Americans turned their back towards them and started treating them with drones. Now americans are allies with moderate forces. Who know when they will turn their back to modern forces and start patronising Religious extremists again. If such a time comes and drones start hitting cinema halls or things like that on grounds that these are centers of non religious extremism. So where they will stand then. We need to determine ourselves how we need to treat things inside our territory. Thats it
@sharjeel memon: @rana faisal: What if these drones hit your home???
@rana faisal: @sharjeel memon: Allah give you hidayat. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un
What's the definition of 'suspected people'?? Taliban sympathizers comes under suspected list?? What about those 'officials' who are negotiating with Taliban in Qatar?? Those officials want Taliban in govt. mainstream. Aren't they sympathizers too???
suspected??? Let's make your job easier by putting all Pakistani population into suspected list, and ask Pakistani population to show their 'innocence certificate', otherwise ready to bear consequence.
A headline in NY Times a few days ago, "Iraq Is Angered by U.S. Drones Patrolling Its Skies." And these were only surveillance drones, not the ones which drop bombs. But we are so large hearted. We welcome 'friends' to come into our territory and bomb our own people. Collateral damage is no problem. After all NWA is too far off, we dont hear no thunder and it's not our children or sisters that are being killed. So yes please continue with your Hell fire missiles to bomb the mud houses and keep giving us dollars so that we can buy some more mansions and palaces in Europe and the US. Dont worry about our sovereignty, international law, your own law and violations of human rights. Yes please keep it up.
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: If you dont beleive the local residents & the intelligence sources go and see yourself and verify that they are really terrorists
I think the USA is doing a very important job for everyone, including Pakistanis. The violation of Pakistani sovereignty should be overlooked by the Government and the army.
Where is Hafiz Saaed, the great defender of Pakistan ? Probably hiding under his bed !
FO@rana faisal:
the bigger problem is that the terrorists are using the devices called IEDs. there should be a proper criteria to check and monitor these devices.
Looks like US Pakistan relationship is normalizing. We are back to where we started. Thanks for Drones the terrorists can run but cannot hide.
thank you USA.
Do we really need F-16's, thunders, nukes & missiles? & a huge military budget? Oh yes, we should extend their terms of our Generals for another 2 years for this exceptional performance.
finally, i am glad that the newspapers now started mentioning killing of 'ten people' instead of 'ten militants' in drone attacks. Its nice to finally see people realizing that drones are indiscriminately killing humans in the tribal areas, thats just a whole other story that we are shamelessly and spinelessly looking at it and not raising a voice against it.
What is the proof that the people killed in two drone attacks were not innocent and were militants.
Had US provided a list of militants and their hideouts to Government of Pakistan?