US Drones Kill at Least 15 in North Waziristan
Drone Fired Missiles at Locals During Rescue Effort
t least 15 people were killed today and many more wounded when a US drone launched a pair of attacks against a mud dwelling just outside of the North Waziristan town of Miramshah, near the Afghan border.
The first strike, in the early afternoon, killed at least eight people and collapsed the structure, trapping others underneath. When local villagers arrived on the scene to try to dig the others out of the rubbe, a second missile was fired, killing seven more people.
The identities of the victims are not yet known, but reports have the owner of the dwelling, Abdur Rehman, among the slain. An anonymous Pakistani security source claimed Rehman was a “local commander” and identified every single person killed, even the locals who gathered for the rescue operation, as “terrorists.”
But a local intelligence official told a different story, saying that they could not confirm that any of the victims was a member of any militant group. Rehman was also identified by locals as an important local tribal leader, but not necessarily with any affiliation to any militant group.
The attacks were by far the deadliest of the new year. In 2009 the US killed an estimated 708 people in 44 drone strikes against Pakistan, and despite security sources labeling virtually every one a “suspect” officials now say that nearly 700 of them had no known connection to any group and were apparently innocent civilians.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
- Four Killed as Another US Drone Strike Hits Pakistan - February 8th, 2012
- Food Prices Soaring in Iran as US Sanctions Miss Regime and Hit Civilians - February 8th, 2012
- House Hearings on Balochistan: Pakistan's Kosovo? - February 8th, 2012
- Syrian Opposition Claims Massive Deaths in Homs, Clashes Reported in Daraa - February 8th, 2012
- Egypt PM: US Aid Threats Won't Stop NGO Prosecutions - February 8th, 2012
joe doubt
January 6th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
The CIA is pissed. They waited until the rescuers came and then fired at them.
Dedreckoning
January 7th, 2010 at 2:13 am
Boy are we going to be paid back for this kind of butchery!
MvGuy
January 7th, 2010 at 3:47 am
Where is Geo 1671…??? Yeah, they hit the medical services, or more likely medieval services..
But no 1 should worry, the not so smart Pakistanis will never know it's all a plan to destabilize their country, snatch Baluchistan AND their NUKES to cut the too numerous them out of the pipeline royalty pie. Their leaders selling them down the drain for NATO bribes.
Santino
January 7th, 2010 at 6:10 am
That is a war crime of the highest order
louis a goretti
January 7th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
people get in the way tough luck these people are are hiding behind woman and children they are cowards we fight them the best way we no how these rag heads dont care about there own people they are cowards if these people get in the way tough shit
Henry_Clemens
January 8th, 2010 at 1:51 am
louis, I really admire you. Your clever use of reverse psychology to get your antiwar views across to the American public has got to be getting results. For example, your use of the term "rag heads" to degrade and dehumanize the enemy is enough to turn the stomach of any thinking person who might possibly believe that the wars in the Middle East might somehow be justified. That kind of vile and repulsive language is sure to win over hundreds of hearts and minds to the antiwar cause. In future posts, may I suggest that you use words like "vermin," or "dirty little yellow bellies," to describe the enemy. That ought to win additional thousands of new converts to the antiwar cause. Keep up the good work old boy; you're doing a great job!