It was this year’s deadliest strike and the second since Nawaz Sharif took office as prime minister. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
Two al Qaeda militants and as many Punjabi Taliban were among the 17 people killed in Tuesday night’s drone strike in North Waziristan Agency, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Remotely-piloted American aircraft fired a barrage of missiles at a compound in the Sarai Darpa Khel area near Miramshah Bazaar late Tuesday night, killing 17 suspected militants.
Two al Qaeda militants – Abu Yousaf Aljaziri and Maulana Akhtar Zadran – and as many Punjabi Taliban – Rana Ashraf from Sargodha and Naveed Butt from Lahore – were among the fatalities, an intelligence official confirmed to The Express Tribune. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity.
Local tribesmen said US drones had been hovering at low altitude in the main town of the agency since a day before the strike.
It was this year’s deadliest strike and the second since Nawaz Sharif took office as prime minister following his party’s victory in the May 11 elections. Earlier on June 7, a US drone targeted a compound in Mangroti village, in the Shawal tehsil of North Waziristan, killing seven suspected militants.
Cross-border shelling
A dozen mortar shells fired from across the Durand Lind landed in a border village of South Waziristan Agency Saturday night, injuring five tribesmen, government officials confirmed to The Express Tribune.
Six mortar shells landed in the Angor Addar Bazaar and as many in the surrounding areas, the officials added. The shelling triggered a fire on a pile of fuel wood and coal in the bazaar. However, local tribesmen managed to put out the blaze.
The injured tribesmen were taken to the agency headquarters hospital in Wana and a private clinic in Rustham Bazaar. One of them was shifted to DI Khan for treatment of his critical wounds.
Angor Adda, also known as Birmal, is a tehsil of Wana subdivision. The mountainous region has frequently been hit by shelling from neighbouring Afghanistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2013.
COMMENTS (27)
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@Arain: "There is no such thing as ‘Punjabi Taliban’"
Arain Sahib, I agree with you, they are not PUNJABI, but Punjabi KHANZEERAN
I support the drone attacks because Pakistan and it's security forces are un-able to catch and punish the terrorists and Pakistan's courts are releasing the terrorists in case if caught and produce them before the courts. if the drone attacks are stop, these terrorist will turn their guns and full force towards the vital installation and hence country will plunge into chaos and possibly there may be a civil war. In my opinion all Pakistani should support the drone attacks services which is free and good help from U.S.A.
"Punjabi Taliban .."?? ET, stop being racial biased. There is no such thing as 'Punjabi Taliban'....
@ Alikulikhan..you mean people who died in karachi,balochistan and KP were not innocent
@Subuktigin
Classic Pakistan conspiracy nonsense - blame it on the foreigners. The reality is that your terrorism is "home grown" - you nurtured it thinking it would only attack your neighbors and it got out of hand. You made your bed - hope you enjoy sleeping in it.
Mr mysteriousforever There were no innocent people killed by the drone. Innocent people died in anarkali last night.
@Subuktigin:
"Drone Attack —> Suicide Blast —> Drone Attack —> Suicide Blast —> Drone Attack —> Suicide Blast -> Drone Attack —> Suicide Blast -> Drone Attack —> Suicide Blast -> Drone Attack -> Suicide Blast -> Drone Attack -> and the vicious cycle continues forever …"
For your information, suicide bombings started well before any drone strike. Even if the strikes were to stop today, we still won't get any respite from bloodthirsty terrorists.
Pakistan should start shooting American drones targeting its citizens. We Chinese can supply better drones to our Pakistani friends which can be used by Pakistani military.
There is a talk going on in this area that Dawood Ibrahim has given the information to US for one million dollars.
Those who are not obeying orders to carry out attack on Pakistan Army,school,public,police, suicide attacks,kidnapping will be killed like that now intensity will increase due these strategic relationship with China.Lahore bomb blast in also direct indication to Sharif Brothers but definitely revenge will taken that will be lethal too.
Yawn - another drone strike - more bad guys killed - more anti American conspiracy blather. What amazes me is that the anti American bias is so great that you don't believe your own newspapers when they report that bad guys are killed - but you do believe some British bogus journalist who write about civilian deaths without having step foot in Waziristan.
Drone Attack ---> Suicide Blast ---> Drone Attack ---> Suicide Blast ---> Drone Attack ---> Suicide Blast -> Drone Attack ---> Suicide Blast -> Drone Attack ---> Suicide Blast -> Drone Attack -> Suicide Blast -> Drone Attack -> and the vicious cycle continues forever ...
The only casualty in this vicious cycle are the people of Pakistan. They are dying in either case. Foreigners, their sidekicks and their hired local agents want to keep this vicious cycle continue for each of their own personal gains and motives at the expense of the people of Pakistan.
If the government of Pakistan exercised any form of control over the area, there wouldn't be any drone strikes. For all practical purposes, North Waziristan is not part of Pakistan nowadays. Our sovereignty is not being violated there. Now if this happened in Peshawar for instance, that would be a cause of worry..
Can anyone also confirm how many innocent dead ... ???
The only tool of salvation. Our government must request the US to increase the attacks as it will wipe the terrorist out. No one should question the precision and accuracy of these Ababeels.
@bilal: Calling the murderers of 40,000 Pakistani citizens innocents ? Shame on you !
@Enough Drone:
It is not the fault of the ET or other news media how events are reported. Blessed are ony those who see the light and know the truth; it is not the innocent victims who bleed but the aggressor who is going in history as the most hated one in the global village.
Rex Minor
What rubbish! How about disclosing their names, details etc. In other words our army is too weak to take them out themselves. This also validates the continuum of the drone program under Nawaz Sharif, why then so much hatred toward Musharaff. In short Paki politician and army will remain spineless and an attempt was made to remove IKs spine altogther may have worked. Why is he Not attending the APC conference on drone attacks etc. this was his chance to make a statement.
do we want to finish them or negotiate with them. US stop playing blind games. on one side you are killing them and on the other hand you welcome them to open their office in Qatar. shame on you people for being the responsible for killing innocent people
Could have not happened without ground support, the co-ord were 101% fed by our Intel
When an Intelligence official makes a claim it can be understood that the target was pointed out by them. In any country the Government would swoop in after such an incident to investigate. In Pakistan why the Government has shirked its job and out sourced it to the Taliban/Al Qaeda who were the target, defies common sense. The State has billions of the costliest arms on Earth but is too scared to go in fast and seal the spot and collect evidence.
Is this first strike after this regime coming to power??
@Baloch Insafian: care asking about 71k+ ppl killed in this WoT!
"Two al Qaeda militants and as many Punjabi Taliban were among the 17 people killed in Tuesday night’s drone strike in North Waziristan Agency" Care telling us about the rest 13 ??
Good Shot. All the filth have gathered on Pukhtoon land.
I bet IK is angry