Suspected US missile strikes kill 28 in Pakistan

MIRANSHAH: A suspected missile strike by US spy drones destroyed a vehicle and a house in tribal area bordering Afghanistan Friday, killing at least 21 people, security officials said.

Two missiles were involved in the strike west of Mir Ali, a town in the troubled North Waziristan tribal region that is a known hub of Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, they said.

The attack came just two days after Pakistan, a key ally in the US-led "war on terror", summoned Washington's ambassador to Islamabad to receive a strong protest over a number of similar strikes.

The latest targeted an Al-Qaeda operative, possibly an Iraqi, but officials citing local intelligence reports said he was not believed to be among the dead.

Officials gave the targeted militant's name as Abu Akasa Al-Iraqi. Local residents said the strike hit the house of a Pakistani tribesman named Amanullah Dawar.

It was the 17th such strike in the past 10 weeks, according to sources.

A strike on Sunday killed senior Taliban commander Haji Omar Khan, a lieutenant of veteran Afghan Taliban chieftain and former anti-Soviet fighter Jalaluddin Haqqani.

A missile fired by a suspected U.S. drone in a Pakistani tribal region killed seven suspected militants, including foreigners, late Friday, a senior security official said.

It was the second missile strike in the region on Friday.

US drone attacks are antagonizing people in the tribal areas and undermining Pakistan’s efforts to seek broader support for the efforts against terrorism, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said Friday.

Responding to questions at a media briefing here at the Foreign Office, the spokesman said Pakistan has repeatedly expressed its position on the US drone attacks inside its territory, calling them unproductive as they strengthen the militants instead of helping the war on terror.

“We condemn these attacks. These are most unfortunate and constitute a gross violation of our sovereignty and territory,” he said .

“We have raised the issue of attacks with the US authorities at every level and underscored that these attacks should be stopped immediately.”

To a question, he said within two days a breakthrough is expected in talks with New Delhi on the illegal use of Chenab water by India for its Baghlihar dam.

Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah inspected Baghlihar dam on October 18 and held detailed talks with the Indian authorities.

Pakistan wants implementation of water accords restraining India from use of Chenab water to fill the dam.

“The agreements should be implemented in letter and spirit as use of Chenab water by India is affecting the country’s crops and damaging the economy,” he added.

He said the Friends of Pakistan group will meet in the second half of November in Abu Dhabi. The countries in the group will be represented at the ministerial level while officials are still working out the modalities of the meeting.

The spokesman said the government has not received any legal notice from former Ambassador of Taliban Mullah Zaeef.

He said Pakistan has sought cooperation from several countries including United States for enhancing capabilities of its law enforcement agencies against terrorism. “Wider international cooperation in war of terrorism is need of the hour,” he observed.


To a question, he said the issue of presence of Pakistanis at US Bagram airbase prison near Kabul in Afghanistan was taken up with US and Afghan authorities and they assured that none of the nationals were kept there.

He said Pakistan will however continue to pursue the matter in view of the allegations.

The spokesman said 17 of the Pakistani prisoners detained in Sri lankan jails will be repatriated to the country next week. On humanitarian grounds, the two governments decided that these prisoners will serve their sentences in Pakistan.

He said the United Nations is still working on the constitution of a commission to investigate the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. As an international organization the United Nations will go through a number of procedures and consult member countries before creation of the commission.

Now neither the government nor the UN can give any firm dates on the setting up of the commission or names of its members, he added.

To another question, he remarked that Pakistan had continued to raise at every forum the issue of human rights violations and use of force in the Indian held Kashmir.

Parliament took up the issue and the government stance is clear that Kashmir freedom movement is indigenous and Islamabad will continue diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiris, he stressed.

The spokesman said Pakistan has not sought support from any specific country for the earthquake affectees of Balochistan. However, the response of the international community to the crisis is overwhelming and all help is welcome.

He said the government has no credible information on the whereabouts of Maryam and Salman, the two children of Dr. Afia Siddiqui, who is presently on trial in a court in the United States.

Mohammad Sadiq said Pakistan supports the process of reconciliation with Taliban and the recently held Pak-Afghan jirgagai endorsed the path of negotiations with the warring parties.

He said there was no change of status in the case of Indian prisoner Sarabjeet Singh.