A US drone attacked a site in the Miramshah Bazaar in North Waziristan today, firing multiple missiles and destroying a car along with part of a nearby building. At least three are confirmed dead, and a number are wounded, with locals saying the overall death toll will likely continue to rise.
As with so many US strikes against Pakistan’s tribal areas, none of the slain have been identified, and while there was a sort of pro-forma declaration of the slain as “suspected militants” there was no indication that any of them actually were militants, let alone any indication of what faction that might be affiliated with.
That’s par for the course for Pakistan, and comes amid a growing scandal surrounding the strikes in Pakistan, and the revelation that previous governments have had secret deals to allow the US to keep attacking with impunity.
New Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif insists the strikes have to stop, though since the US resumed aid to the Pakistani government, officials seem eager to downplay the significance of the attacks.