Pakistani helicopter gunships launch attack in militant stronghold close to the Afghan border
By Ishtiaq Mahsud, APFriday, January 22, 2010
Pakistani gunships attack car in North Waziristan
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Pakistani army helicopters opened fire on a car in North Waziristan on Friday, killing one person in a region where the U.S. is pressing for action against al-Qaida and the Taliban, intelligence officials said.
Two other people in the vehicle were wounded in the attack on the outskirts of Miran Shah town, the officials said.
The identity of the victims was not known. The officials said the car, which had left the compound of the Tablighi Jemaat Islamic missionary group in the town, was targeted because it violated a curfew. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of their work.
North Waziristan is home to hundreds of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters that U.S. officials say are fueling much of the insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan. They say Pakistani military action to clear the area of insurgents is essential if the American-led war in Afghanistan is to succeed.
On Thursday, the Pakistani army said it cannot launch any new offensives in the border area for at least six months so it can consolidate gains against militants there in other operations over the last year.
