Drone attack follows failed Pak-US talks
PESHAWAR - At least four suspected militants were killed
and two others injured when US unmanned predator fired two missiles on a
deserted government school in Miranshah Bazaar, North Waziristan
Agency, on Sunday. It was the first drone strike in almost a month and
came after the failure of fresh round of talks between US and Pakistan.
American special envoy Marc Grossman left Islamabad Friday night with no
agreement after two days of discussions with the top Pakistani
leadership that were aimed at ending the diplomatic deadlock between the
two countries. The remotely piloted aircraft targeted a deserted girls’
high school building used by some suspected militants in Miranshah.
Sources said the identities of the killed persons were not revealed due
to curfew in Miranshah Bazaar. The controversial drone programme, a key
element in US counter-terrorism efforts, is highly unpopular in the
country where it is considered a violation of sovereignty and causes
many civilian casualties.The parliamentary committee recently demanded
an end to drone strikes on Pakistani territory as part of its
recommendations for how its relationship with Washington should change.
The United States has given no indication it intends to halt the
campaign.It bears mentioning here that the last drone strike, on March
30, killed four suspected militants and wounded three in the same town
of Miranshah area. These strikes are a major stumbling block in
restoring ties with the United States. Reuters add: “We intercepted
internal conversation of the militants asking for arranging four coffins
for the slain men in the drone attack. We don’t know about their
identity and nationality but those living in the girls’ school were
mostly Arabs,” a security official said.A local resident, Haji Niamat
Khan, said more than two dozen militants were living in the school when
it was attacked.
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