Drone strike kills four suspected militants in North Waziristan

Published December 20, 2014
The image shows a drone aircraft. — Reuters/File
The image shows a drone aircraft. — Reuters/File

PESHAWAR: At least four suspected militants were killed in a US drone strike in the Dattakhel tehsil of North Waziristan tribal region on Saturday.

Intelligence sources said the drone fired two missiles on a compound in Dattakhel, resulting in the deaths of four suspected militants, including a high-value target.

The identity of the militants is yet to be ascertained. Drones were said to be hovering in the area.

North Waziristan is among Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border rife with homegrown insurgents and are alleged to be strongholds of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, among other extremist groups.

Pakistan's military in mid-June had launched an all-out operation, named 'Zarb-i-Azb', against Taliban militants in the region which is still under way. Moreover, months into Zarb-i-Azb, the army also launched Khyber 1, an operation to clear out militant strongholds in the tribal region of Khyber.

The operation in Khyber saw an escalation since the attack on Peshawar's Army Public School that claimed the lives of over 140 people - most of them children. After the attack, army chief General Raheel Sharif also secured assurances from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) commander General Joseph Dunford over complete cooperation in security-related matters.

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

THE Punjab government would be keen to forget its first year of treating smog as ‘a year-round epidemic’ instead...
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.