Posted on 07/08/2009 4:07:08 AM PDT by csvset
Seven people have died in a second missile strike by a suspected US drone in as many days in north-west Pakistan, officials and residents say.
At least three to four missiles hit a suspected training camp for militants in South Waziristan early on Wednesday, witnesses said.
At least 12 militants were killed in a similar attack in the area on Tuesday.
The attacks are targeting a stronghold of Pakistan's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, in South Waziristan.
US officials believe Mr Mehsud is providing both the Taliban and al-Qaeda with a refuge in the region. They have placed a $5m bounty on his capture.
There have been dozens of drone strikes since last August, killing hundreds of militants and civilians.
Most of the strikes have taken place in the tribal regions of North and South Waziristan.
The strikes come at a time when the Pakistani government is engaged in operations against the Taliban commander in South Waziristan.
Critical
Officials said the missiles were fired at a Taliban training camp in the thickly-forested and mountainous Karwan Manza area, some 10km south-east of Ladha town in South Waziristan.
The area is close to the border with Afghanistan.
Officials say that a Taliban hideout was completely destroyed in the attack - as was another hideout in Tuesday's attack, which took place 20km from Wednesday's the strike.
Local administration officials say the Taliban took away bodies from Wednesday's attack after clearing away the debris.
The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan says that the increased number of drone attacks has caused a great deal of insecurity among Mr Mehsud's fighters.
Dangerous region
Pakistan has been publicly critical of drone attacks, arguing that they kill civilians and fuel support for the militants.
In March, US President Barack Obama said his government would consult Pakistan on drone attacks.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
no, innocent civilians killed, obama is a warmonger
“We’ve got to get the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we’re not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there.”
Barack Obama
On US troops in Afghanistan
August 14, 2007
Drone ‘kills seven’ in Pakistan
Must have been listening to the BBC...
The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan says that the increased number of drone attacks has caused a great deal of insecurity among Mr Mehsud's fighters.
I bet.
It was a METEOR! The US needs to refer to these events as random meteors falling from the heavens.
When Obama is in Power it is the “Drone” That killed seven people.
When bush is in power it is him and that war criminal Dick Cheney pushing the button that erases seven dear precious souls off of the Poor abused Mother earth.
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