U.S. drone strikes kill 11 suspected militants in Pakistan

[News_Editor]

U.S. drone strikes kill 11 suspected militants in Pakistan

2011-06-20 20:57:43 GMT+7 (ICT)

PARACHINAR, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Suspected U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan's volatile tribal region killed at least eleven suspected militants on Monday, officials said.

According to SAMAA TV, an unmanned aircraft launched four missile strikes against two suspected militant compounds and a vehicle in the the Khardand area of Pakistan's Kurram Agency, which is located near the border with Afghanistan's Paktia province.

Among the eleven killed militants were nine Afghans and two Pakistanis, an unnamed military official told the media outlet, adding that the area is known to be a stronghold for local militant leader Fazal Saeed, who has been linked to the Haqqani network.

Controversy has surrounded the drone strikes - which have amounted to over 30 this year - as local residents and officials have blamed them for killing innocent civilians and motivating young men to join the Taliban. Details about the casualties are usually not provided.

In April, more than 40 people were killed in U.S. drone strikes in the volatile tribal region of North Waziristan, which also 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. drone 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-affiliated Haqqani Network, considered one of the top terrorist organizations and threats to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

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