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| Drone strike hits Pakistan tribal area of North Waziristan | Drone strike hits Pakistan tribal area of North Waziristan |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| At least six suspected militants have been killed in a US drone strike in the Pakistani tribal region of North Waziristan. | At least six suspected militants have been killed in a US drone strike in the Pakistani tribal region of North Waziristan. |
| The strike hit the border town of Datta Khel, thought to be on the escape route for militants fleeing a government offensive in the region. | The strike hit the border town of Datta Khel, thought to be on the escape route for militants fleeing a government offensive in the region. |
| Pakistan launched an operation against militants sheltering in tribal areas close to the Afghan border last month. | Pakistan launched an operation against militants sheltering in tribal areas close to the Afghan border last month. |
| The US resumed drone strikes in June after a six-month lull. | The US resumed drone strikes in June after a six-month lull. |
| This would be the third drone strike since they renewed their attacks, the first of which took place on 12 June. | This would be the third drone strike since they renewed their attacks, the first of which took place on 12 June. |
| The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that members of the Pakistani Taliban as well as militants affiliated to the commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur's group have a presence in Datta Khel. | The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that members of the Pakistani Taliban as well as militants affiliated to the commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur's group have a presence in Datta Khel. |
| Officials say most of those killed were foreign fighters trying to escape the Pakistani military's offensive. | Officials say most of those killed were foreign fighters trying to escape the Pakistani military's offensive. |
| On Wednesday, the army official leading troops in North Waziristan acknowledged that much of the militant leadership had left the area before the start of the operation. | |
| "It will be wrong on my part to say that some of them did not escape," Maj Gen Zaffar Khan said. | |
| "They could smell the operation was about to begin. The talks failed, the build-up for the operation had already begun and they could see that, they could sense and smell and therefore the leadership was not here. The leadership tried to abandon the place." | |
| But Maj Gen Khan insisted that the army was determined not let the region become a militant sanctuary again, the BBC's Shahzeb Jillani in Islamabad reports. | |
| Washington has for years used unmanned drones to carry out strikes on Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan. | Washington has for years used unmanned drones to carry out strikes on Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan. |
| Pakistan has always denied reports that US drone strikes on its territory take place with the government's approval. | Pakistan has always denied reports that US drone strikes on its territory take place with the government's approval. |