US drone strike kills six in North Waziristan

Published November 11, 2014
— File photo by AFP
— File photo by AFP

PESHAWAR: Six suspected militants have been killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan Agency.

Intelligence sources said that US drone fired two missiles on a compound and a vehicle in Doa Toi area of Datakhel tehsil in North Waziristan Agency.

The attack killed six suspected militants and destroyed the compound. Drones are still reported to be flying in the area.

The identity of the militants is yet to be confirmed but some sources say the dead may include a key figure.

Pakistan's foreign ministry condemned the drone strike in a statement issued to the media, a routine reaction to such attacks, which have been targeting militants in the tribal areas since 2004.

“Pakistan considers such strikes a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, especially at a time when our authorities are engaged in taking decisive action against terrorist elements in North Waziristan Agency,” the statement said.

North Waziristan is among Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border which are rife with insurgents and are alleged to be strongholds of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, among others.

Pakistan's military in mid-June had launched an all-out operation, named 'Zarb-i-Azb', against Taliban militants in the region.

Drone attacks are widely unpopular across Pakistan and according to survey conducted in June this year, 66 per cent of the country's citizens oppose these strikes.

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