Eight militants killed in US drone attack in North Waziristan: Pak Officials

India Gazette (ANI) Wednesday 8th February, 2012

Eight militants have been killed in a US drone attack in a troubled Pakistani tribal region, security officials have said.

Two missiles hit the militant compound located in Tappi, 10 kilometres away from Miranshah, the main town in volatile North Waziristan near the Afghan border, The Dawn quoted a military official in Peshawar, as saying.

"Eight militants were killed and two wounded," the official said, adding: "Militants have surrounded the compound and are removing the dead bodies."

US officials say Pakistan's tribal belt provides sanctuary to the Taliban, the al-Qaeda, and the Pakistani Taliban.

The anti-US protests were instigated in October last year when tribesmen gathered in Peshawar to express their strong opposition to the killing of innocent people by US drone strikes in the country's tribal areas.

"The so-called war on terror has made us miserable. US drone attacks are sheer violation of our country's sovereignty," tribal leader Zar Noor Afridi had said.

"We demand an immediate end to drone attacks on our tribal areas," he added.

The protesters also voiced their anger at the violation of their country's sovereignty by US drone strikes and Washington's pressure on Pakistan to expand its military operations in the country's northwestern tribal regions near Afghan border.

Reports suggest that since 2008, hundreds of US drone attacks have led to the loss of more than two thousand Pakistani people.

The relationship between Pakistan and the US reached its lowest ebb after the NATO attack that mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani security personnel and injured 12 soldiers in the Salala check post. (ANI)