25 militants die in US drone strike in Pakistan

Up to 25 suspected Afghan and Pakistani Taliban militants were killed when a US spy plane fired missiles on a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region early Wednesday, security officials said. Most of those killed in the strike were members of the Haqqani Network, led by Afghan Leader Sirajuddin Haqqani. The US and Afghan officials blame Haqqani Network for planning cross-border attacks into Afghanistan. Several Pakistani Taliban were also among the slain people. Local sources said that 8 militants were also injured who were transferred to main hospital in Miranshah, center of North Waziristan. All injured are in critical condition, a local reporter, who visited the hospital told IRNA on phone. He said that the pilotless aircraft fired two missiles on a compound at Kharunai, a small village just one kilometer from Miranshah, when the militants were having pre-dawn meal or ‘Sehri’ in the Muslim month of Ramadan. The militants, both Afghans and Pakistanis, arrived at the scene after the spy planes left the area, and pulled bodies and injured from the rubbles of the destroyed compound. They did not allow local tribesmen to reach the site. The Wednesday’s strike is one of the deadliest in years as many militants were killed in a single strike in Waziristan region, which the US considers as the main base for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. Security sources said that the militants had arrived at the compound late Tuesday night and were having night stay there. Pakistan is under mounting US pressure to launch major operation against the foreign and local militants in North Waziristan. North Waziristan borders Afghanistan’s three eastern provinces – Khost, Paktiya and Paktika – where fighters of the the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network are active. The network named after Jalaluddin Haqqani, former Jeahdi leader, who also served minister in Taliban regime (1996-2001). Haqqani’s son Sirajuddin, wanted to the US, is heading the group, which CIA says has made North Waziristan as its main base. The fresh strike came at a time when relations between the United States and Pakistan are thought to be at lowest ebb. Pakistan publicly opposes drone strikes in its tribal regions, terming it as counterproductive in the war against militants. The CIA, which does not make comments on drones operations, and the top US defence officials have ruled out any change in the drones policy. US officials insist drone attacks are effective in the on-going war against the militants as several key al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, including founder of the Pakistani Taliban movement, Baitullah Mehsood, have been killed in these attacks. Pakistani tribesmen say that majority of the victims are locals.