Targeted attack: Drone strike kills four suspected militants
At least four suspected militants were killed and two others injured early Thursday when a US drone targeted a vehicle in the Data Khel area of North Waziristan.
Officials said the vehicle was believed to be transporting suspected militants. After the drone strike, two passengers were rescued from the remains of the vehicle after an hour and a half passed, as the drone continued to hover in the area.
The identities of the deceased have yet to be confirmed but officials said they included some foreigners.
This is the sixth drone strike in North Waziristan Agency since Sunday this week. Late Wednesday night, two suspected foreign militants were killed in a drone attack in Data Khel. Reports reveal that around 30 suspected local and foreign militants were killed in strikes over five days.
Drone strikes ceased while the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were engaged in talks. However, the strikes have resumed even as Operation Zarb-e-Azb continues in North Waziristan Agency.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2014.
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Soon Imran Khan will re-start his Anti-Drone campaign. His only slogan to the KPK electorate was that he will stop drone strikes!
Sixth visit of Pakistan’s “National Bird” the American Drone in as many days!
Meanwhile I am completely perplexed as to why there is not a single recorded attempt by the Military of Pakistan to thwart any one of the some 368 US drone strikes spread over a decade, despite loudly voiced disapproval from three separate administrations?
All this pusillanimous quiescence despite Pakistan being equipped with the requisite military hardware to thwart drone attacks such as the Spada 2000 SAM’s, RBS-70 Bolide MANPADS, ZDK-03 AWAC’s, Saab 2000 Erieye AEW’s, AN/TPS-77 Transportable radars, F-16 fighters, AAMRAAM and Sidewinder AAM’s.
All this inactivity despite Pakistan being fully within her rights to shoot down any drone intruding into her own territory.
What then explains this lack of any recorded attempt by Pakistan’s Military to thwart US drone strikes on Pakistan’s territory? Complicity of the Punjabi dominated Military in the drone attacks or fear of the US by the Punjabi dominated Military or contempt of the Punjabi dominated Military for the intelligence of the Civilians of Pakistan?
Can somebody please explain why is TTP not murdering Pakistanis with the frequency they were before the army action? Where are those who used to scare us that if we hit them they would hit us harder? Where are those who loved these Muslim Brothers, who should be treated equal and given an office like embassy? Like OBL, TTP leadership should understand when they are hit nobody would save them no matter who they endorsed and supported in the elections and who was their fair weather friend. The best way is to surrender weapons and behave like a human.