US drones pound North Waziristan, four militants killed

ISLAMABAD - US drones showered 10 missiles on a suspected militant hideout killing at least four militants in Lawara Mandi area of the volatile North Waziristan region, security officials said.

Confirming the attack, a senior security official, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said five unmanned aircrafts targeted a house and a vehicle parked outside firing 10 missiles.

A local security official also confirmed the missile hit, saying the death toll may rise as several other people were also wounded in the attack, The News reports.

This was the second drone strike in less than a couple of days in the region.

On Sunday (May 9), at least 10 suspected extremists were killed and several others wounded in a similar attack on Inzarkas village, situated some 50 kilometres west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan.

The missile hit has come amidst reports that the United States is planning to greatly expand the use of drones against militants in Pakistan’s troubled tribal regions along the Afghanistan border following the failed Times Square bombing plot, which was masterminded by an American citizen of Pakistan origin, Faisal Shahzad.

US drones routinely target Taliban and Al Qaeda commanders in country’s tribal regions.

A US drone strike in Miranshah in February killed Muhammad Haqqani, a brother of al Qaeda-linked warlord Sirajuddin Haqqani, whose network is fighting against US and local forces in Afghanistan.

The frequency of missile hits has increased considerably in North Waziristan following a bomb attack on a CIA camp in Afghanistan in December last year, which killed seven top US intelligence officials.

Although Pakistan publicly opposes the attacks, saying they violate its sovereignty and fuel anti-Americanism among the population, it is believed that it was sharing intelligence with the US about the insurgents and their hide-outs. (ANI)