US drones attack kills 14 in Pakistan

Source: "Pakistan Observer"

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman condemns missile strike

By Tariq Saeed

Peshawar—The US led NATO forces operating in Afghanistan continued to add to their score of innocent killings in Pakistan as yet another missile attack by the US drones in North Waziristan Agency Friday morning left up to 14 people dead and injured many others.

Reports reaching here said the suspected US pilot-less planes or the predators in their fresh offensive eliminated at least 14 people on the pretext of targeting militants when the missile strike destroyed what they claimed an Al-Qaeda training camp in village Kamshaam on Pak Afghan border in North Waziristan Agency. Officials confirmed.

Sources and the locals say as many as four missiles were fired at the camp, in Kamshaam village, some 35 kilometers south of Miranshah in North Waziristan province which played havoc in the area.

Security sources said the village is dominated by Wazir tribes and is near the border with South Waziristan, another hub of Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives.

“Between 11 to 14 alleged militants, mainly foreigners, were killed in the strike,” claimed a senior military official while talking to Pakistan Observer on condition of anonymity.

APA Razmak said two missiles were fired on a house suspected to be occupied by the militants killing at least 11 people and wounding 7 others.

It was not immediately clear if there were any high-value targets among those killed, sources added. An intelligence official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, added “The strike successfully destroyed the camp.”

The independent sources, however, said it is yet to be confirmed if the victims of the Friday missile attack were the militants or the innocent people as has usually been the case.

Locals said a number of dead bodies have been recovered from the debris which belong to local tribals as the tension was fast mounting in the region following attack.

A Pakistani intelligence agency official said the strike was on a house in North Waziristan but a military official said the attack was in South Waziristan. “It happened close to the border. We have reports of 15 dead but it will take time to get more information,” said a military officer.

There have been nearly 20 attacks by suspected missile-firing pilotless U.S. drones since the beginning of September, but Friday’s is the first since Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election. More than 100 innocent tribals have been killed of the US missile attacks in the short span of few months in North and South Waziristan agencies alone.

It may be recalled that in earlier missile attacks by the US led allied forces in Tanday Darba Khel area in North Waziristan Agency at the residence of former Afghan Commander Jalaluddin Haqqani more than twenty people were killed, and over twenty civilians succumbed to their injuries when the US missiles landed at Angoor Adda in South Waziristan Agency in two attacks alone.

According to rough estimates the US led allied forces drones launched around 17 attacks in Pakistani Western borders amid claims by the Pentagon that they have been hitting high value target. The tribals and the independent sources on the other hand are fully convinced that only civilians fell prey to the American adventurism at Pakistani soil. A senior functionary of the government ridiculing the Americans claim said the US was yet to provide any proof it had hit the wanted people in the missile attacks which were only proving counter productive.

APP adds from Islamabad: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman has condemned the US missile attack in North Waziristan that killed 10 people on Friday.

“The series of unilateral actions against targets on Pakistan’s soil is a self-defeating strategy. The US Administration’s reluctance to consider the repercussions of such operations is damaging the whole purpose of global efforts to combat terrorism,” said the Federal Information Minister commenting on the reports of the fresh US attacks on the FATA region, according to a press release issued here.

Ms Sherry Rehman informed the media that the issue of the US unilateral operations is being taken up at the highest level, with both the President and the Prime Minister demanding the US administration to halt its military actions on Pakistan’s soil.