U.S. drone strikes kill 20 suspected militants in Pakistan

U.S. drone strikes kill 20 suspected militants in Pakistan

2011-06-08 19:06:33 GMT+7 (ICT)

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least 20 people were killed in the latest U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan's volatile tribal region of North Waziristan, officials said Wednesday.

The unmanned U.S. aircraft fired a couple of missiles at around 12 p.m. local time at a suspected militant compound and at a vehicle in the Zoynarai village, which is located in the Shawal area of North Waziristan, officials told the Pak Tribune.

According to officials, the air strikes were just minutes apart. The first missile reportedly hit a vehicle carrying five people, while the second targeted the military compound, which is located right on the border between North and South Waziristan.

On Monday, three U.S. drone strikes killed between 19 and 23 suspected militants in the South Waziristan areas of Shalam Raghzai, near Wana, Wacha Dana, and Dare Nishtar in Shawal.

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 April, over 40 people were killed in U.S. drone strikes in the volatile tribal region of North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan, prompting thousands of Pakistanis to gather and protest against the attacks during a two-day sit-in.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in its annual report that the U.S. drones strikes were responsible for 957 extra-legal killings in 2010. Since August 2008, there have been over 250 drone attacks that have reportedly killed more than 1,500 people in North and South Waziristan

Pakistan's Afghan border, which the United States considers to be the most dangerous place on Earth, is known to be a stronghold of the Taliban's Haqqani Network, considered one of the top terrorist organizations and threats to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

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