Sixteen militants, including 10 from the dreaded Haqqani network, were killed in two successive CIA drone strikes in Pakistan’s restive tribal region as the US resumed its controversial unmanned spy plane programme after a five-month hiatus.
Six militants including four Uzbeks were killed in the first strike last night around five km north of Miranshah, the capital of the North Waziristan tribal region, Pakistani military sources said on Thursday.
Reports said all the 10 militants killed in the second strike on Thursday were affiliated with the feared Haqqani network that regularly launches attacks on US-led Western forces in Afghanistan.
The drone strikes came after the deadly attack at Karachi airport on Sunday that left 39 people dead including 10 Taliban militants, reportedly Uzbek fighters.
A security official said that three missiles were fired at a compound in the early morning attack. “So far according to information received at least 10 militants were killed,” said the official. He said four militants were also injured.
In the first strike, four missiles were fired at a vehicle parked near a mud compound in Dargah Mandi area of North Waziristan, a security official said.
“Six militants were killed in the attack and both the vehicle and hideout were destroyed,” the official said.
The last drone attack occurred in Pakistan in the last week of December, 2013, killing three insurgents.
The drone strikes had been temporarily halted since then to provide the Pakistani Government a chance to have talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) aimed at ending their seven-year insurgency.
However, US President Barack Obama last month made it clear that he will continue to authorise CIA-operated drone strikes and covert operations abroad to capture terrorists based on “actionable intelligence”.