Local and international media had reported two suspected US drone strikes in the North and South Waziristan tribal regions in early February, killing up to 11 people including two Al Qaeda men.—File Photo

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan's military on Tuesday rejected a report published in a US newspaper on recent drone strikes in northwestern Pakistan, calling it a “distortion of facts” and an attempt at weakening the country's stand against drone strikes.

Commenting on the report published in the New York Times on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said “such an accusation is a distortion of the facts and seems to be aimed at diluting Pakistan’s stance on drone strikes.”

Local and international media had reported two suspected US drone strikes in the North and South Waziristan tribal regions in early February.

According to Dawn reports, the first strike on Feb 6 targeted a suspected compound in North Waziristan agency killing three unidentified people. The second strike on Feb 8 carried out on the border of the North and South Waziristan tribal regions was reported to have targeted a compound owned by a local Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander.

Intelligence officials said the Feb 8 attack killed eight militants, including two Al Qaeda men. The rest, sources said, were local TTP fighters.

However, the report published by the New York Times today quoted unnamed US intelligence officials as denying the US carried out the attacks and instead accused Pakistani forces of carrying out the strikes.

Rejecting the report, the ISPR spokesman denied Pakistan’s security forces having carried out any operation, including air strikes, in the area on dates mentioned in the news report.

Opinion

Editorial

X post facto
Updated 19 Apr, 2024

X post facto

Our decision-makers should realise the harm they are causing.
Insufficient inquiry
19 Apr, 2024

Insufficient inquiry

UNLESS the state is honest about the mistakes its functionaries have made, we will be doomed to repeat our follies....
Melting glaciers
19 Apr, 2024

Melting glaciers

AFTER several rain-related deaths in KP in recent days, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has sprung into...
IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...