ISLAMABAD, Sept 10: Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar said on Wednesday that civilian deaths from missile strikes by Afghanistan-based forces could damage cooperation in the “war on terror”.

The warning followed a missile strike by suspected US drones this week on suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan that killed at least 21 people including women and children, while also hitting four Al Qaeda operatives.

“The coalition forces need to understand Pakistan sensitivities as such incidents can affect our partnership against the war on terror,” an official statement quoted the defence minister as saying.

Mr Mukhtar expressed Pakistan’s concern at a meeting with Let-Gen Klaus-Peter Stieglitz, the Chief of Staff for the German Air Force.

“Stieglitz said that he would raise Pakistan’s concern with International Assistance and Security Force (ISAF) Chief in Afghanistan,” the statement said.

Mr Mukhtar said “Pakistan was committed to eliminating terrorism and had been playing an instrumental role against this faceless enemy”. Missile strikes targeting militants in Pakistan in recent weeks have been blamed on US-led coalition forces or CIA drones based in Afghanistan.—AFP