At least 15 suspected militants were killed and several others injured when a US drone targeted a compound with four missiles in Hassokhel area of Mirali, one of the main towns of North Waziristan Agency, on Monday.
Reports reveal the attack took place at the break of dawn. As a result, various portions of the compound were razed to ground and a number of suspected militants got stuck under the debris. Soon after the drone strike, a large number of militants from the surrounding areas rushed to the site and recovered the dead bodies.
Tribal sources said eight militants were killed on the spot, while some succumbed to their injuries later. It was one of the most forceful drone strikes in recent days, claiming the life of 15 militants. The identity of those killed could not be ascertained, but locals said they included foreign militants taking shelter in the area.
The Mirali region of North Waziristan is dominated by foreign militants. It is the third consecutive US drone attack in Waziristan region and the 17th during the current year.
The Foreign Office, meanwhile, strongly condemned the series of US drone strikes that have killed at least 27 people in the last three days.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said “Pakistan has consistently maintained that these illegal attacks are a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity and go against international law.”
The United States has ramped up its use of drones to target al Qaeda and Taliban-linked-militants in Pakistan’s northwest, with eight attacks since May 23.
Washington considers drone strikes to be a vital tool in the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban. The FO said that “the strategic disadvantages of such attacks far outweigh their tactical advantages, and are therefore, totally counterproductive.” The recent drone strikes add to already tense relations between the United States and Pakistan.
