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Drone attack kills at least five
AT least five suspected militants have been killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan's tribal area near the Afghan border, officials say.The attack late on Friday targeted a militant compound in Muhammad Khel, a town in North Waziristan, a local government official said. "Initial reports say at least five people were killed and there are fears the toll may go up," he said. A security official, who also confirmed the toll, said the drone fired three missiles. The compound was believed to be a centre for local Taliban and was also a base for insurgents belonging to the Haqqani network, which is known for staging attacks on US and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Officials also said the site was used by foreign fighters but the identity of the suspected insurgents killed in the attack was not immediately known. Washington has branded Pakistan's lawless tribal belt that runs along the Afghan border the most dangerous place in the world, rife with Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants plotting attacks on Western targets. A volley of drone strikes, which fuel anti-American sentiment in the nuclear-armed Muslim nation, have hit the northwest this month. The strikes have been concentrated on North Waziristan, a bastion of Al-Qaeda fighters, the Taliban and the Haqqani network. Posted by: tipper 2010-01-29 |
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