Pak : War escalation, 12 killed in NW drones strikes

20 militants die in Shabqadar operation

Source: "Pakistan Observer"

Peshawar—Once again ridiculing all international norms and laws, the US drones on Friday wee hours fired more missiles into tribal regions of Pakistan and killed upto 12 innocent people and injured several others in North Waziristan agency. Some reports put the death toll at 15

Sources and the military officials said the attack targeted a house in a remote village on the border between North and South Waziristan.

– “We have reports that 12 people were killed, including five foreigners,” a paramilitary official told PO by telephone from the area while the independent sources believe most of those fell prey to US barbarism on Friday, were the innocent civilians saying attack was launched at midnight. At least three projectiles were fired at a house in Valadeen village in Kaamsham area.

The locals said the pilotless planes struck the house owned by one Ameer Gul in a remote village in Razmak Sub-division of North Waziristan Agency around 3 in the morning as they heard huge explosions which created panic in the area and the residents came out of their houses. The locals have confirmed the killing of at least 11 men saying several were seriusly injured.

According to unconfirmed reports foreigners used to visit the house of Ameer Gul off and on. However, the official sources did not confirm this impression and expressed their ignorance in this regard.

Officials with particular reference to NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani, pointed out that Pakistan has time and again termed the American’s adventure on tribal borders as extremely counter-productive and is only leading to cause serious blow to the government’s initiatives to ensure peace in the tribal belt through peaceful means.

US led allied forces operating inside Afghanistan, it is believed, have intensified missile attacks by pilotless drones since early September and launched more than twenty missile attacks under the lame pretext of hitting their wanted men and the so called Al-Qaida operatives killing more than 120 people most of them innocent. Not a day passes when the American predators do not violate the Pakistani air space and feel free to undertake a trip to our northern borders particularly to North and South Waziristan agencies.

The latest attack by the US led NATO forces coincided with a visit by the commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan to Islamabad amid pledge made by the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the parliament on Tuesday that Pakistan government would not tolerate such aggressions any longer admitting that the people had serious reservations about these attacks.

On the other hand Security forces continued operation against militants in volatile Bajaur Agency, Michnai and adjoining areas in Mohmand Agency where twenty militants were reported killed and 15 others wounded seriously on Friday alone. Reports reaching here said the PAF gunship helicopters and jet planes went for incessant bombings on the militants’ dens in Charmung and Nawagai area on Friday morning inflicting heavy loss of lives of the miscreants challenging government writ in the region. Locals say Friday strikes left dozens dead and injuries to many others.

According to sources, security forces overnight pounded militants’ hideouts in Michnai and other areas. Three people were injured when mortar shells hit their houses in Rashkai and Ayeshakor area.

Officials confirmed that at least 20 militants were killed and many other injured in the operation against the trouble makers in Mohmand and Bajaur Agency.

Meanwhile, Mathra area of Peshawar District remained under unannounced curfew and security forces established pickets in different parts of the region.