Two U.S. drone strikes kill 7 people in Pakistan as thousands hold anti-U.S. protest

Two U.S. drone strikes kill 7 people in Pakistan as thousands hold anti-U.S. protest

2011-01-24 00:15:59 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISLAMABAD (BNO NEWS) -- Seven people were killed in two separate U.S. drone attacks in the North Waziristan tribal district on Sunday, local daily The News reported.

An unmanned U.S. aircraft hit a vehicle after it had parked outside a house, killing four alleged militants. The house was badly damaged, according to officials, but there were no immediate reports of civilian casualties.

Hours later, a second U.S. missile attack killed at least three suspected militants in the region. The identities of those killed were not immediately known.

After the attacks, thousands of tribesmen held an anti-U.S. protest in North Waziristan, demanding a halt to U.S. drone strikes while chanting anti-U.S. slogans.

The United States is most active in the North Waziristan area as the region is known to be a stronghold of the Haqqani Network, which is considered one of the top terrorist organizations and threats to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan is aimed at disrupting al-Qaeda and Taliban-allied insurgents in the border area with Afghanistan, which the United States considers to be the most dangerous place on Earth.

So far this year, the United States has carried out around a dozen drone attacks inside Pakistani territory, killing scores of suspected insurgents, although their identities are rarely released. In 2010, officials reported at least 122 U.S. drone attacks, which was more than double than registered in 2009.

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