U.S. drone strikes kill at least 40 in Pakistan's northwest

U.S. drone strikes kill at least 40 in Pakistan's northwest

2011-03-17 20:55:38 GMT+7 (ICT)

MIRANSHAH, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- A series of U.S. drone strikes on Thursday killed at least 40 people and wounded 15 others in Pakistan's North Waziristan, local media reported.

Initial reports indicate that the U.S. unmanned aircraft launched six missile strikes targeting Taliban fighters in the Datta Khel area of the region, around 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) west of Miranshah and near the Afghan border, Pakistan's AJJ Television reported.

Some reports say the air strikes hit and destroyed what is believed to be a militant training center, while other reports, including those from NBC News, said a residential area was hit where local elders were meeting.

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-Qaida and the Taliban in the border area with Afghanistan, which the United States considers to be the most dangerous place on Earth. As of Monday, U.S. drone strikes in the region this year have killed at least 80 people, many whom are believed to have been militants.

But controversy has surrounded the drone strikes as local residents and officials have blamed them for killing innocent civilians and motivating young men to join the Taliban. In addition, the Pakistani government does not support the strikes.

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