US Drone Strike Destroys House, Kills Six in North Waziristan

Slain All Labeled 'Suspected Militants'

A US Predator drone destroyed a mud house in North Waziristan Agency today, killing at least six people and wounding two others within. None of the slain were identified.

Officials said they believe the victims were all members of the Hafiz Gul Bahadar militant group, though they had no names for any of them. The group has been targeted by the US in the past, though it has had a peace deal with Pakistan’s military since 2006.

It is the first US drone strikes against Pakistan in almost a month. The June 11 attacks killed 16 people at two sites in North Waziristan, and again none of the victims were ever identified.

Pakistan has complained about the continued US strikes against their territory, though as it runs concurrent with a Pakistani military invasion of North Waziristan, it seems likely the strike was coordinated, if only to prevent killing Pakistani troops.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.