PESHAWAR - At least seven suspected militants were killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan Agency on Wednesday.
Sources said that an unmanned US aircraft fired at least two missiles on a house and a vehicle in Shawal Valley, situated near the Pak-Afghan border. As a result of which, at least seven militants were killed.
The targeted house, allegedly being used by the militants, and the vehicle were destroyed completely, they added. They, however, said that the identity of the militants could not be ascertained till filing of this report. They said that it was around 3:00pm, when the drone fired missiles on its target.
Security official confirmed the strike and casualties, saying three among the killed were foreigners whereas four of them locals. It was the fourth US drone attack in Shawal valley in January this year. The area is well-known for its snow-clad mountains.
Islamabad, however, officially denounces the drone strikes as a violation of its sovereignty. Pakistan military had launched an all-out operation named ‘Zarb-e-Azb’, against local and foreign militants in the region in June 2014.
The operation was initiated following a brazen militant attack on Karachi’s international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Due to the operation, over one million tribesmen have left North Waziristan Agency and shifted to downtown and the army says it has cleared 90 per cent of the tribal region. The army said that it has killed more than 2,000 militants so far, while 129 soldiers have lost their lives.
Recent drone attacks by the US have raised speculation that Washington and Islamabad are coordinating their military efforts.
The area is generally off-limits to journalists, making it difficult to independently verify the number and identity of the dead.
Washington pressed Islamabad for years to wipe out militant sanctuaries in North Waziristan.
The latest strikes came after Pakistan ramped up its anti-terror strategy in the wake of a December 16 attack on an army-run school in Peshawar that killed 150 people, 134 of them children.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced the establishment of military courts for terror-related cases in order to accelerate trials, and also lifted a six-year moratorium on the death penalty, reinstating it for terrorism-related cases.