Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

U.S. drone strikes kill 20 Pakistani 'militants'

RIA Novosti

13:52 06/06/2011 NEW DELHI, June 6 (RIA Novosti) - Some 20 alleged militants were killed on Monday in U.S. drone-fired missile strikes in southwest Pakistan, the DawnNews TV channel said citing local officials.

The unmanned U.S. aircraft struck ground targets in Pakistan's volatile South Waziristan tribal region along the Afghan border in at least three attacks that lasted 10 hours.

Reports said non-Pakistanis were among those killed, although their identities have not been verified.

A U.S. drone attack in the region on Friday killed al Qaeda member Ilyas Kashmiri, who is blamed for several high-profile terrorist attacks in Pakistan and India.

U.S. drone strikes against insurgents in the border region of Pakistan have long been a source of friction between the two countries.

U.S. officials have never publicly confirmed the use of drones inside Pakistan, but have privately acknowledged the strikes to various news outlets, saying the operations have mostly only killed militants.