At least 11 killed in US attack, suicide bombing in Pakistan

by hussain | March 25, 2009 at 10:47 pm

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As the US intelligence officials reportedly drawing up a fresh list of targets for drone strikes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a suicide strike and a US missile strike on Thursday killed at least 11 people in two tribal regions of Pakistan.
Five people were killed in a US missile strike in Mir Ali town of North Waziristan tribal district while another six were killed in a suicide attack in Jandola area of Tank Fronter Region.

MIRANSHAH: A US missile strike killed five people in Mir Ali town in North Waziristan on Thursday.

According to reports, US drone struck a house of local Malik Gulab Khan in the Sokhel area on the reports of presences of Al Qaeda suspects. Four people were killed and four others injured in the attack.

The strike is the second in as many days by the drones, with a missile on Wednesday killing up to seven alleged Al-Qaeda militants in the nearby Makeen area of South Waziristan.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Six people were killed in a suicide blast in F.R.Tank area of Jandola on Thursday.

According to Geo News, a blast occurred in Rasooldar hotel in Jandola market killing six and injured several others. The injured were shifted to local hospital and district headquarters hospital. According to sources, the hotel was a meeting place of an organization ‘Turkistan Group’.

On Wednesday, Pakistani officials said a US missile strike killed at least eight people, including foreigners, in South Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan. Officials also said Wednesday's strike damaged two vehicles near the town of Makeen in South Waziristan. They did not release the nationalities of the foreigners. An estimated 30 missile strikes from unmanned aircraft have been carried out on in Pakistan's border region in recent months.
Meanwhile, reports said that the US intelligence officials are drawing up a fresh list of targets for drone attacks alongside Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

WASHINGTON: U.S. intelligence officials are drawing up a fresh list of terrorist targets for Predator drone strikes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, part of a U.S. review of the drone program, according to officials involved.

According to Wall Street Journal report, Pakistani officials are seeking to broaden the scope of the program to target extremists who have carried out attacks against Pakistanis.

The US administration considers the program a success, and the program isn't expected to be significantly curtailed. But officials familiar with the review say it could change the pace and size of the program, and make some technical refinements in an effort to hit targets faster. The review seeks to determine under what circumstances drones should be used, the officials say.

The broader reassessment could be announced as soon as Friday, according to people familiar with the matter. The review is believed to address plans for increasing troops and combating drug trafficking in Afghanistan, as well as strategies for strengthening institutions of civil government and building the economies in both countries.