U.S. drone strike kills 14 in NW Pakistan
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Nov 8, IRNA -- A U.S. drone aircraft Sunday hit a vehicle in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region and killed 14 persons, security sources in the region said.
The sources said suspected militants were travelling in the vehicle when came under attack at Saidgai area.
The US drone plane fired at least four missiles at the vehicle.
It is the second strike in North Waziristan in five days.
On Nov. 3rd, the pilotless U.S. aircraft rained missiles in three strikes at different locations in the region and killed at least 11 people.
The United States has, in recent months, increased drone strikes in North Waziristan, which CIA considers as home of Taliban leaders Hakimullah Mehsood, Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mulla Nazir. They are accused of also sending fighters to Afghanistan for attacks on US and NATO forces.
Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network, whose network is fighting against U.S. and local forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, is also active in the region.
The network is run by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of former Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani.
Pakistan has been under tremendous U.S. pressure to launch operation in North Waziristan region but the Pakistani military has not yet planned any such moves.
A number of high-profile militant leaders, including Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud have been killed in the drone attacks.
Pakistan publicly criticizes drone attacks, saying they violate its sovereignty and fuel more anti-Americanism among the people, but observers widely believe that Pakistan shares intelligence with the US on drone strikes.
Last week, the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad defended strikes by American drone aircraft in Pakistan’s tribal regions and said that these attacks are part of the anti-terror war.
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