Civilian casualties from drone strikes may be inflated: Report

Report finds that only 30 per cent of the casual­ties in 10 of the deadli­est drone strike­s were that of...


Web Desk February 25, 2012

ISLAMABAD: People of Pakistan, and many human rights organisations across the world have been flaying the US over the high death toll of civilians from their drone strikes in the tribal areas of Pakistan. However, a new report put together by the Associated Press discovers that the reported civilian casualty figure may be inflated.

The Associated Press sent its reporter to conduct an exhaustive, on the ground tally, interviewing inhabitants of 80 villages where 10 of the deadliest drone strikes had taken place.

In their interviews, they found out that at least 194 people were killed in the 10 strikes. Of these, at least 70 per cent, 138 deaths, were of militants. The rest, 56 deaths, were of either civilians or tribal police.

A research report by Bureau of Investigative Journalism for the Sunday Times and The Express Tribune in August, 2011 revealed that since 2004, when the strikes started, 291 attacks had claimed up to 2,200 credible deaths, and 1,100 injured. The strikes killed 168 children among at least 385 civilians and non-combatants.

A US government internal tally for the deaths, communicated to the Bureau, stood at 2,050, with 50 civilian deaths since 2004.

COMMENTS (10)

MarkH | 12 years ago | Reply

The fact there is support for them in much of the tribal area goes to show civilian casualties are low. It's not something people divide on usually. Even if a few complain who are coincidentally ones that seem to be a little less than innocent, themselves, imagine the emotional reaction if it was an innocent/child you actually knew. That reaction would still be far above what gets seen from the proclaimed victims... Who weirdly walk around armed looking like militants even when they're just protesting. Dress like one, talk like one, act like one, die like one.

naeem hussain | 12 years ago | Reply

Shame on Expresstribune to produce such reports to support the agenda of the enemies of Pakistan.

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