20/11/2008
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Predator fire puts 4 to death in Bannu
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PESHAWAR: A suspected unmanned Predator aircraft fired two missiles at a house in country's northwestern tribal areas on Wednesday, killing at least 4 suspected foreign militants, intelligence officers and a government official said.
Several people were wounded in the pre-dawn attack, in the Janikhel tribal area in Bannu district of North West Frontier Province.
Janikhel is not part of one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal regions, but borders North Waziristan -- a militant hotbed where suspected US drone aircraft have launched a series of missile strikes in recent months.
"It's a drone attack and we have reports of four people killed," said Abdul Hameed, a senior government official in the region.
Missile-armed drones are primarily used by U.S. forces in the region, though the United States seldom confirms drone attacks. Pakistan does not have any.
Intelligence officials said those killed were all foreigners and appeared to be Turkmen. A resident said Taliban fighters cordoned off the area after the missile attack.
Many Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, including Arabs, Chechens, Turkmen, Uzbeks and other Central Asians, fled to Pakistan's tribal lands after a U.S.-led military invasion toppled the Taliban government in Afghanistan in late 2001.
Frustrated by fighters from Pakistan fuelling the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and fearful of al Qaeda regrouping, U.S. forces have intensified missile attacks by pilotless drones, security sources said. U.S. strikes have focused on North and South Waziristan where at least 20 missile attacks and a cross-border commando raid have killed scores of people since September.
Pakistan objects to the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty and argues that the strikes undermine its efforts persuade people to support campaigns against the militants, and heightens already rampant anti-American sentiment. -Reuters
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