By Khalid Qayum - Bloomberg
Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan said it doesn’t support U.S. drone attacks in its territory as they are counterproductive, after reports that raids yesterday killed 17 militants in a northwest region bordering Afghanistan.
“Pakistan has done its job very well against militants inside the country,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, citing junior minister Malik Amad Khan. U.S. and NATO forces “need to play their role inside Afghanistan,” said the statement released in Islamabad today.
Pakistan’s army is battling Taliban groups it blames for terrorist attacks in the country. It launched an offensive in October in tribal South Waziristan, and insurgents have killed about 600 people in reprisal bombings and gun attacks.
Missile attacks by unmanned U.S. drones are especially unpopular in Pakistan. The Interior Ministry last year said 528 civilians had been killed in such attacks without specifying the period. Pakistan has protested several drone raids in the past two years.
In yesterday’s attacks, two missiles fired from U.S. drones killed guerrillas at a Taliban training base in North Waziristan, the Dawn newspaper reported, citing an unidentified government official.
North Waziristan is controlled by Taliban factions and hosts militant groups that are part of al-Qaeda, say residents and U.S. officials. It serves as a key center of the militants’ war against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.
The former commander of the Taliban faction the Pakistan army is fighting, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a U.S. drone attack in South Waziristan in August.
Al-Qaeda said a Dec. 30 attack inside Afghanistan that killed seven CIA employees was revenge for the death of top militants in U.S. drone strikes, Agence France Presse reported. Bloogberg
Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan said it doesn’t support U.S. drone attacks in its territory as they are counterproductive, after reports that raids yesterday killed 17 militants in a northwest region bordering Afghanistan.
“Pakistan has done its job very well against militants inside the country,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, citing junior minister Malik Amad Khan. U.S. and NATO forces “need to play their role inside Afghanistan,” said the statement released in Islamabad today.
Pakistan’s army is battling Taliban groups it blames for terrorist attacks in the country. It launched an offensive in October in tribal South Waziristan, and insurgents have killed about 600 people in reprisal bombings and gun attacks.
Missile attacks by unmanned U.S. drones are especially unpopular in Pakistan. The Interior Ministry last year said 528 civilians had been killed in such attacks without specifying the period. Pakistan has protested several drone raids in the past two years.
In yesterday’s attacks, two missiles fired from U.S. drones killed guerrillas at a Taliban training base in North Waziristan, the Dawn newspaper reported, citing an unidentified government official.
North Waziristan is controlled by Taliban factions and hosts militant groups that are part of al-Qaeda, say residents and U.S. officials. It serves as a key center of the militants’ war against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.
The former commander of the Taliban faction the Pakistan army is fighting, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a U.S. drone attack in South Waziristan in August.
Al-Qaeda said a Dec. 30 attack inside Afghanistan that killed seven CIA employees was revenge for the death of top militants in U.S. drone strikes, Agence France Presse reported. Bloogberg
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