A US drone fired two missiles from an unknown location. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
The drone fired two missiles near Shawal in Mir Ali Tehsil, killing six people. This was the fourth drone strike since Nawaz Sharif assumed office as Prime Minister.
Earlier this month, on July 3, a drone had fired missiles on a house located in the Miranshah Bazaar in North Waziristan killing 17. The July 3 drone attack is considered to be the biggest launched this year.
Another drone strike which took place on July 13 killed two people in Mir Ali Tehsil, North Waziristan.
The Pakistani government has maintained an anti-drone stance and has claimed that drone strikes in the country are illegal, violate sovereignty and are counter-productive as they claim civilian lives.
A 12-page summary report titled Details of Attacks by Nato Forces/Predators in FATA revealed that out of the total 746 people listed as killed in the drone strikes between 2006 and 2009, 147 were civilians.
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@Ibrahim: Ibrahim, Do you have any concerns for the fourty thousands innocent killed by these terrorist in Pakistan.You mourn killing of innocent citizens killed as a collateral damage and may be around 150 in number but you have no sympathy for innocent people being killed by Taliban everyday. in fact you want Talibans to be left alone so that they can continue thier develish work.
@Ibrahim: Wow, please point out which "European country" that has ceded a large part of their "sovereign" country to be used and ruled by heavily armed TTP/terrorist like groups that attack other countries????
@ Realist..... Absolutely agree.... How can you even support drone killing of our citizens. Who knows they are terrorist or not...We believe what media portrays us.... We should get our facts right.... More civilians have died rather than terrorist and plz tell me since the drone situation in Pakistan has improved or worsened...... And even we know there are terrorist we should respond, any military attack or otherwise is the responsibility of Pakistani govt: not USA.....
@Azubaijan: The chances of anybody's child dying is more than 100 times greater from the indiscriminate killing of innocents by the terrorists than a drone, not that either of them is right.Moreover, terrorists deliberately target innocents,while drones specifically target terrorists.
@Socratese: Are you sure that the Drones are killing only terrorists ?
Those supporting drones must study and observe the sovereignty,territorial integrity and national honor and must compare a drone like gadget entering into a sovereign European country and the consequent reaction! Can u imagine a drone hitting a European country? Its out of fantasy of those who r oblivious to the national pride! History has seen many mir jaffars and today we r not short in numbers!
"Out of the total 746 people listed as killed in the drone strikes between 2006 and 2009, 147 were civilians." Let's see the half full of the cup, 599 of them were Taliban. Aren't you happy?
Let us burn a thousand American Flags ++++++++++++++++++++++++ per drone attack. Will surely teach the Americans a lesson.
The people who are saying "Good Job America" . Liberal Fascist I hope they will say the same if one day their child is killed as a result of a collateral damage.
ET has reported that on “Friday, US Ambassador Richard Olson met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to finalise the agenda for talks between Secretary Kerry and his Pakistani interlocutors. During the meeting the PML-N government has already made its expectations from Kerry’s visit very clear. The government intends to persuade the US into halting the CIA-led drone campaign in the country’s tribal areas”:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/583351/at-the-11th-hour-kerrys-visit-postponed-over-security-concerns/
The Government of Pakistan’s message regards the use drones in and over the territory of Pakistan has apparently not got through to the American’s if indeed the drone issue was even raised.
ET has reported that on “Friday, US Ambassador Richard Olson met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to finalise the agenda for talks between Secretary Kerry and his Pakistani interlocutors. During the meeting the PML-N government has already made its expectations from Kerry’s visit very clear. The government intends to persuade the US into halting the CIA-led drone campaign in the country’s tribal areas”:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/583351/at-the-11th-hour-kerrys-visit-postponed-over-security-concerns/
The Government of Pakistan’s message regards the use drones in and over the territory of Pakistan has apparently not got through to the American’s if indeed the drone issue was even raised.
We should realise that this is a war and there will be civilian casualties like any other war. Drone strikes are better than artillery shelling or arial bombardment.
Thank you Mr. Drone for targeting Gul Bahadur, TTP leader and linked with AQ. Please get rid of them, our FATA suffers from them......
Or use Daisey cuter once for all on these dense forest mountains...
but many innocent people are killed in these drone attacks.US should stop these drones.
Pakistani newspapers report this as though it were happening in another country. If this happened in most countries there would be news reporters interviewing the police/military standing in front of the burning structure. Date, time, deaths, casualties and specific names would be available as well as analysis as to why etc. Despite the sovereignty rhetoric some would argue that N Waziristan might as well be another country.
Dronocracy.
There is no better way to hit Terrorists in their safe zone. Thank you America for doing what our government and army have not been able to do.
Awaiting FO statement for repeat telecast. Its really disgusting. Lets hope for IK to come forward and make clear stance.
privately reported by the concerned quarters,predator drones strikes can be useful in regqard to the increasing insurgency in the country. It is not open,still hidden what is the policy behind,openly saying,drones are violation of the global law and sovereignity of the state.
Pakistan's armed forces is operating against the militants in the tribal areas bodering Afghanistan,hence CIA drones goes in favour of the ground situation,allies have same stance on war in terror.
@Socratese
You are obviously delusional. While the efficacy and net effect (i.e. do drones create more terrorists than they kill?) of extrajudicial killings via drones can be debated (and given the very high/unacceptable number of civilian deaths that are casually brushed aside as "collateral damage," the debate isn't a long one), the fact that thousands of Pakistani troops have died fighting militants in FATA (and earlier in Swat) should tell you that drones are not the "only option." One can be a big critic of the army's policies - both past and present - in many spheres, but that shouldn't make one blind to the sacrifices that many in the armed forces are making on a daily basis battling these barbarians in FATA and elsewhere.
Now IK has refused to take part in APC. Well done to politicians for sticking to their inactivity. Purana Pakistan and Naya KPK is more of the same.
love usa.at least some one fighting back against these animals-talibans
You know....3 posts above just dont sound like "Pakistanis"
Yeah, don't worry, the Foreign Office will condemn it once again as usual. 5037th time maybe! All those who were killed were terrorist. We know because no journalist is allowed and the only information we get is through "agencies", which are in favour of drones and actually in secret agreement with the states!
ali: why do you sound like Obama?. in their eyes if your are killed you are also a militant. Ali, wake up.
Thanks God, ET didn't give its verdict that they all were terrorists.
Mr Drone is back. Run fanatic run. This is what you guys deserve.
militants has been killed not civilians.good keep it up.
Lets compare statistics for a moment! The reported casualties noted in the article are 746 killed of which 147 were civilians, leaving the balance of 599 killed identified as militants/Good-bad Taliban/terrorists! Now with the some 30,000 plus Pakistanis killed by the TTP types over the past decade, just how many TTP types were also killed by Pakistani forces during that period????
While our leadership is content on calling APCs to discuss whether its our war or not,terrorists are on killing spree from Quetta to Parachinar. There is absolutely nothing in Pakistan to counter terrorists except drones,so drones must keep coming in numbers to decimate these terrorists.