Three killed in North Waziristan

Three bullet-riddled bodies found at the side of a road in North Waziristan.

PESHAWAR: Officials say the bullet-riddled bodies of three men have been found at the side of a road in North Waziristan, killed by suspected Pakistani Taliban militants in apparent retaliation for recent US drone strikes in the area.

Two intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media, said Sunday a note saying “anyone who dares spy for the Americans will meet the same fate” was found next to the corpses.

Local government official Asghar Khan confirms the report but wouldn’t identify the victims.

The slayings came the day after two suspected US missile attacks killed 16 people in the region, part of a recent surge in drone strikes in Pakistan along with stepped-up Nato operations along the frontier.

The officials said four missiles struck a house in the Datta Khela village of North Waziristan tribal region Saturda y morning.

They said some people were also wounded in the strike.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to talk to the media on the record.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2010.