Six killed in US drone strike in North Waziristan

Published June 7, 2013
Intelligence sources said the unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at a compound in Mangroati village in Shawal Tehsil. – File Photo
Intelligence sources said the unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at a compound in Mangroati village in Shawal Tehsil. – File Photo

NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Six suspected militants including “some high value target” have been killed in a US drone strike on a compound in Shawal area of the restive North Waziristan Agency Friday night.

This is first such attack since Nawaz Sharif was sworn in as prime minister this week. In his inaugural address to parliament, Sharif called for an immediate end to US drone strikes on militants, which many view as a breach of Pakistan's sovereignty.

The bombing comes 10 days after a similar US drone attack killed the Pakistani Taliban's second-in-command, Waliur Rehman, and six others in a major blow to the militant group.

President Barack Obama said last month the United States would scale back drone strikes, only using them when a threat was “continuing and imminent”.

Intelligence sources told Dawn.com that the unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at a compound in Mangroati village in Shawal Tehsil of the North Waziristan Agency situated on Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The area is considered a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda linked militants.

About the possible high value target hit in the strike, the sources said that information is being collected but the identity of suspected militants is yet to be ascertained.

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