US drones attacked the Darga Mandi village in Pakistan’s North Waziristan Agency today, killing at least seven people and seriously wounding four others in the strike. None of the victims were identified.
The attack leveled the targeted house to the ground, and also set a nearby house on fire. It is the 20th distinct US drone strike against Pakistan so far in 2013.
Drone strikes have fueled massive anti-US sentiment nationwide in Pakistan, and dominated this year’s national election, which saw the relatively pro-US Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ousted in favor of Nawaz Sharif, who promised to end the attacks.
This is the fifth attack since the election, and despite Secretary of State John Kerry’s claims that the strikes were nearing an end, there is no end in sight. The continued attacks are likely to put pressure on the Sharif government to act, as public demands to end them clearly haven’t impacted the US policy.
When he orders these attacks, does Obama stroke his peace prize?