K & P

North Waziristan: Drone strike kills 18 ‘militants’

Drone strike in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan kills over 20 people.

Manzoor Ali December 28, 2010

PESHAWAR:

At least 18 militants were killed and five more injured in a US drone strike in North Waziristan Agency on Monday.

A unmanned US aircraft targeted two pickup vehicles belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Sheratala area of Spinwam Tehsil of North Waziristan Agency, sources told The Express Tribune by phone from the area.

“At least six missiles were fired on two vehicles, destroying them completely,” sources said. They said the area where the attack took place is situated some 15 kilometres north of Mir Ali subdivision. Both the vehicles were going to the Tull area from Mir Ali.

Identities of the dead militants could not be confirmed as the bodies were charred beyond recognition in the fire that engulfed the two vehicles following the attack. However, sources said that the militants belonged to the TTP.

Earlier this year UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions Philip Alston in a report submitted to the Human Rights Council said that drone attacks pose a rapidly growing challenge to the international law.

Separately, two Nato helicopters violated Pakistan’s airspace at Torkham border crossing into Landi Kotal tehsil of Khyber Agency on Monday. Sources said the two helicopters flew inside Pakistan’s airspace at Torkham and Bacha Meena areas for around five minutes.

A military official in Peshawar called it a “technical incursion.” However, a statement issued by the US embassy in Islamabad denied any airspace violation. “US Embassy officials confirmed with Nato commanders in Kabul that no Nato helicopters crossed the border into Pakistan,” the statement said. It added that all coalition and US air operations in Afghanistan conducted along the Pak-Afghan border region are closely coordinated with Pakistan’s Air Force (PAF). “We refer all questions concerning the integrity of Pakistani airspace to the PAF,” it added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2010.

COMMENTS (10)

J.Oberoi | 13 years ago | Reply "Just imagine the little children playing and these merciless Americans firing missiles at them...". I am sorry @Nazir Habib but nothing is farther from the truth. Training camps and terrorist hideouts are the ones that are targeted. You should save your comment for the right occasion - like when the UN Food Program was hit by a female suicide bomber. Appalling how even educated Pakistanis will spread lies to express outrage over the drone attacks that target killers but maintain a studious silence when innocents are massacred by the same terrorists that are being targeted by the drones. This disconnect from reality is what is ailing Pakistan.

Umair Arif | 13 years ago | Reply Is this an totally Pro American Newspaper? I mean every comment in every news is supporting America's war on terror.. Such biased Journalism..!

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American | 13 years ago | Reply Nazir Habib : The drone strikes are the “last resort” after the rest of the world failed to persuade Pakistani ‘establishment’ to go after the terrorists in Pakistan. “Last resorts” are what they are…they are not the first options, and they are not the preferred or even good solutions. No one can be sure, how many civilian non-combatants die in these drone attacks. However, there is one thing that we CAN be sure of… that Pakistani terrorists are responsible for 1000s of deaths of innocent people at Mosques and Temples, Hotels, and Railway Stations, in Streets and Hospitals in Pakistan and Kashmir, and Mumbai, and UK, and elsewhere. When Richard Holbrooke was asked why the West tolerated the Bosnian Genocides for so long,, he replied "...in the face Milosevic's extreme unreasonableness, we were paralyzed into inaction" or words to that effect. Has it occurred to Pakistanis, what will happen when, at some point of time, everybody's patience runs out ? It has happened in the past with Idi Amin, and Hitler; with Milosevic and Mladic; and with Bhindranwale in Punjab.

Cautious | 13 years ago | Reply Nazir Habib - a simple "Thank You" would be appropriate. Drone attacks are not the preferred option but a last resort when Pakistan won't confront the problem itself.

Aamir+Ali | 13 years ago | Reply These drones are effective in precise targeting of terrorists.

Imran | 13 years ago | Reply Drones r very effective and mostly the actual culprits r hit rather then innocents. Drone technology is so much better then the use of helicopter gunships and artillery shelling with its high collatoral damage. USA is doing a great job there and we Pakistanis should applaud these efforts as we r fighting with these same guys. As for soverignity, those areas though technically in Pk r not under govt control now and its taliban soverignty. And the drones r popular among the tribals too who dont really like the taliban but r too scared of them to do anything.

American | 13 years ago | Reply @Nazir Habib Completely agree with your sentiment and understand your anger. Just curious: Did you express same feelings when LeT terrorists from Karachi/Lahore sprayed bullets and killed completely innocent people in Hotels, and bystanders at Train Stations in Mumbai ? The civilians killed in NW at least had 'some' connection with the terrorists living in their midst. If Pakistan got rid of terrorists in their country, the whole region will become more peaceful.

Rehan | 13 years ago | Reply beautiful. made my day!

chiku | 13 years ago | Reply mr nazir its fault of pakistan why it keeps terrorists like baitullah mehsud tehreek e taliban pakistan and others in his territory what about children they killed they killed more muslims than anyone else

Nazir Habib | 13 years ago | Reply This is too much. This is absolutely too much. Just imagine the little children playing and these merciless Americans firing missiles at them. Their homes are destroyed, families are shattered, innocent people are killed, maimed and injured, little children frightened, afraid and wailing for their parents. Hunger and cold grip them with little concern shown by our goverment and the Americans go home after duty and say 'mission accomplished'. We regret the 'collateral damage'. This is what one can call "mindless savagery". Salams and best wishes for the future.

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