Six killed in US drone strike in North Waziristan: Officials

Three suspected terrorists wounded in the attack.


Afp September 22, 2013
Three suspected terrorists wounded in the attack. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

MIRANSHAH: At least six people were killed in a US drone strike on a suspected militant compound in North Waziristan on Sunday, officials said.

The attack took place in Shawal , about 55 kilometres west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district, along the Afghan border.

"US drones fired four missiles into a militant compound. At least six militants were killed and three others were wounded," a security official told AFP.

A second security official confirmed the attack and death toll.

The officials said the identities of those killed were not yet clear.

US drone attacks are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, but Washington views them as a vital tool in the fight against Taliban and al Qaeda militants in the lawless tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.

The government has repeatedly protested against drone strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and there has been a recent decrease in their use.

During a visit to Islamabad at the start of August, US Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that drone strikes targeting Taliban and al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan could end "very soon" as the threat of militancy recedes.

According to an AFP tally there were 101 attacks in 2010, killing more than 670 people, compared to just 19 so far this year killing just over 100 people.

COMMENTS (37)

Seexton Blake | 10 years ago | Reply

@numbersnumbers: :Last time I checked we were not talking about America". Dear numbers, The article above is about US drone strikes, so I thought the discussion included America. Therefore, the next time ET prints an article about America I will not mention it, and then everybody will be like you and will miss the entire point.

However, getting back to reality it is reasonably obvious that you did not have an answer to the fact that out of the 50,000 deaths from terrorism, which are commonly touted, many more than half of them were insurgents, whoever they were, so as usual you tried to debunk it with trivia. Unfortunately, people such as you submit inaccurate data, which does not comply with the facts, but fits the simplistic picture of the world which a few people have. Interestingly, I have noticed that you invariably criticize, but rarely contribute. I would like to know who is pressing your buttons. In regard to terrorism identity, ET choose not to print my reply so you have a modified version.

numbersnumbers | 10 years ago | Reply

@Sexton Blake: Last time I checked, we were not talking about America (or Venezuela, India, or Mars)! BTW, were do you get that "so-called terrorist activity" line? If not "terrorist activity", then what EXACTLY would you call it?

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