“The drone fired two missiles at a suspected militant compound,” says a local administration official.
In an apparent snub to a call from Pakistan’s new administration for an end to US drone strikes in tribal regions, an American remotely-piloted aircraft struck in the North Waiziristan tribal region on Friday.
Seven suspected militants were killed and three injured in the drone attack targeting a compound in Mangroti village, in the Shawal tehsil of North Waziristan, according to government officials.
The village is sited 50 kilometres west of Miramshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan Agency, close to the Pak-Afghan border.
“The drone fired two missiles at a suspected militant compound,” a local administration official told The Express Tribune. “At least seven people were killed,” he added.
The attack came two days after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the United States must call off the drone campaign.
“We respect the sovereignty of others and they should respect our sovereignty and independence. This campaign must come to an end now,” he told the National Assembly in a policy speech after his election as leader of the house.
Islamabad has repeatedly called for an end to the highly controversial US drone campaign in the tribal regions which, it says, is damaging its counter-insurgency efforts. Washington, however, considers its unmanned war effective in taking out high-value targets.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2013.
COMMENTS (15)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1734587529-0/Express-Tribune-(1)1734587529-0-270x192.webp "pakistan to host another icc event")
What are you given aid for??
Pakistan are also fighting the Talibans as they attack your elections. Why so much hatred on Pakis for drones killing Talibans. Nawaz Sharif mention to respect "our independency". America will leave North West Frontier Areas when your army can control them. Every time you say you are independent and when asked to act upon it you deny saying "not enough resources" to tackle militancy. You do or let us do it. Can'not go with mere lip-service statements from new premier. Show action on ground n' America will be more than happy to stop costly drones...!!!
The actual death toll of innocents is well over 3.000. The September 2012 report by Stanford Law School and New York University School of law estimated that high level drone target killings in Pakistan were about 2 per cent. The other 98 per cent were not causing serious problems for the US. The other thing to consider, is why are Americans on the sub-continent? Nobody invited them in, but they think it is their right to go around killing women and children, not just high level targets. But then that is what CentCom is good at. Roaming around the world, mainly killing innocent people who do not have the means to fight back. For CentCom, it is like taking candy from a blind man with very little risk. After all this easy killing their so called combatants go home and are praised as heroes.
USA has given just the right amount to regard to PM Nawaz Sharif's stance on Drones. This is exactly how a corrupt and uneducated nation is treated. Hope this time leadership leads the country to REAL independence.
@Sexton Blake: Even your so called sophisticated surveillance equipment, you cannot even shoot down a drone. Tells the real capability of these. Thanks for this exposure.
@Sexton Blake: WOW, so "The US has now killed over 3,000 innocent Pakistanis with drones"!!! And how might you have come to the conclusion that they were all "innocent" and Pakistani??? (Hmmm, not a single "foreign fighter" must have been touched!!) Lets see, the British Bureau of Investigative Journalism puts the Drone Strike death count at around 3500 souls, But ALSO say that the vast majority of those killed were militants/terrorists"!
Nawaz Sharif, must prove that we are a sovereign country, and will not allow any country to interfere in our country and put the life of citizens on risk. There should be an arrangement and display of arsenal that next drone will be shot down by Pakistan.
The US has now killed over 3,000 innocent Pakistanis with drones, which equals out the death toll of 9/11. Additionally, we could go into the million or so innocent Muslims the US has killed in various countries over the last 12 years. All these countries, like Pakistan, were not harming America in any way whatsoever. However, this does not excuse Nawaz Sharif. He has been wringing his hands and complaining for quite some time, but not doing anything about it. Iran showed the way to handle drones, and America is leaving them alone. The Pakistan military have sophisticated surveillance equipment which tells them when drones are in Pakistan airspace. They would only have to shoot down a couple of drones and the Americans would back off. Pakistan would not have to say anything and the US would stop the drones using the lame excuse of mechanical failure.
It would be interesting to note who the drones targeted, Pak enemies USA enemies their common enemies. I don't think we have identified who are Pak enemies and which of these we are going to talk with and which we would like to drone if and when talks fail.
@Saeed Nafees : Drone strikes are just another example of American double standards and self serving agenda.
Why is this instead not another example of the Military of Pakistan’s “double standards and self serving agenda” given that there is not a single recorded attempt by the Military of Pakistan to thwart any one of the some 340 US drone strikes spread over almost a decade, despite loudly voiced disapproval.
All this despite being equipped with the requisite military hardware to thwart drone attacks such as the Spada 2000 SAM’s, RBS-70 Bolide MANPADS, ZDK-03 AWAC’s, Saab 2000 Erieye AEW’s, AN/TPS-77 Transportable radars, F-16 fighters, AAMRAAM AAM’s and Sidewinder AAM’s.
All this also given that Pakistan is fully within its rights to shoot down any drone intruding into its territory.
The reaction of TTP supporters would indicate whether a high value target is hit or not. There would be more outrage against drone attacks if a big leader of Taliban is eliminated. On the other hand if ordinary TTP members are killed then there would be almost no reaction from Taliban protégées just like they show no disgust or reaction when TTP kills ordinary Pakistanis. It is ironic that the killers of innocent Pakistanis are loved by our rightwing leaders and parties. For families of those tens of thousands of victims of Taliban and TTP, drones are the only hope to get justice.
Aaaand its business as usual. why are we so spineless as people.does anybody else thinks its time for a national protest?
Hope the seven militants are top hierarchy of Taliban leadership. As a revenge of waliur Rahamn group should tip the information of rival group.
A day our beloved drone help us eradicate all leadership. Thank you Drone. Keep up mission. majority but silent voice of Pakistan thank you for your kind help.
Despite our respected Pak Army cleaned all areas, but strangely these elements keep pop up.
Drone strikes are just another example of American double standards and self serving agenda. All the talk of human rights and democracy is just a tactic used to exploit the weaknesses and divisions in weaker nations for America's own ends. The futility of international laws in checking her is quite evident here. Convoluted legal constructs have no place in international laws, but may be those laws are just for the Africans, not for the educated champion of human rights.