At least 20 terrorists were reportedly killed in separate drone attacks in North and South Waziristan on Wednesday. This is the second time this week that the unmanned drones — operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for target strikes on terrorists in Pakistan’s tribal agencies adjoining Afghanistan — have struck in South Waziristan.
According to local media reports, the target in North Waziristan was a “fortress like militant compound” that was used as a training camp in Shawal quite near South Waziristan. Most of those killed in this drone attack were apparently foreigners and terrorists owing allegiance to Punjab-based terror groups.
The second drone attack of the day was in the vicinity of the training camp in South Waziristan which this month has drawn considerable Predator attention. Most of the drone strikes this month have been in South Waziristan and in one of these last Friday, the ‘specially designated global terrorist’, Ilyas Kashmiri, was reportedly killed.
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The areas targeted this time are said to be under the control of those Taliban commanders who are considered “good” by Pakistan because they have never attacked any target within the country and Islamabad also hopes to use them as strategic assets to have some leeway in the future in Afghanistan.
Though Pakistan had stepped up protest against drone strikes over the past couple of months, the recent Predator attacks has not drawn any reaction from the government amid WikiLeaks disclosures that the military leadership favoured these attacks; the public posturing notwithstanding.