Sixteen killed as US drones target militants in Pakistan

 
Rasool Dawar3 July 2013

Unmanned US aircraft fired four missiles at a house in north-west Pakistan today, killing 16 suspected militants and wounding two more, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The strikes, in the Sarai Darpa Khel area of the North Waziristan tribal region, were condemned by the Pakistani government as a violation of its sovereignty.

Those targeted were believed to be from the Afghan Haqqani network, which US officials consider to be one of the most dangerous factions fighting American troops in Afghanistan.

The leadership of the network pledges allegiance to Taliban chief Mullah Omar but operates fairly independently.

Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs today said drone strikes were “counter-productive” and entailed loss of innocent civilian lives. However, senior officials are known to have supported some of the attacks in the past.

US officials rarely provide details publicly about the covert CIA drone programme in Pakistan.

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