Six Militants Killed in U.S. Drone Attacks in Pakistan
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Version 0 of 1. PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Six militants were killed in an American drone strike in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, officials said, the first since Taliban fighters killed 148 people, mostly schoolchildren, in a brutal attack on a military-run public school here. A Pakistani security official said two missiles struck a compound in Datta Khel, just three miles from the Afghan border and about 37 miles west of the headquarters of the North Waziristan tribal region. “Six militants were killed, including three Uzbeks, one Arab and two locals,” said the security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media. One hundred and thirty-two children were killed in the school massacre, some lined up and shot in the head, others gunned down as they cowered under desks. The attack has shocked and convulsed the nation, causing a wave of public anger and prompting the government to declare an all-out war against militants. Since the school assault, Pakistan has lifted a moratorium on the death penalty and executed two convicted terrorists. Security forces have widened their crackdown against militants and their associates across the country, particularly in and around Peshawar, the capital of the northwestern province, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The military said it had killed 62 militants in airstrikes and clashes, mostly in the Khyber tribal area, on Thursday and Friday, and in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, airstrikes conducted by the international military coalition killed at least five militants. Also on Saturday, Pakistani military troops raided a compound in Koi Hassankhel, nine miles south of Peshawar, killing five militants, the security official said. Among the dead, the official said, was the brother of Omar Mansoor, whom the Taliban have identified as the commander behind the school massacre. In a separate raid conducted by the police and paramilitary troops on the outskirts of Peshawar, two militants were killed after a gun battle. One of the militants had helped the attackers involved in the school shooting, according to officials. Najibur Rehman Bugvi, a senior police official, said a deputy police inspector and a paramilitary soldier were also killed. Sartaj Aziz, the national security adviser for the Pakistani government, said Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to conduct coordinated operations against militants along the border. The statement came three days after the Pakistani Army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, and the intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar, visited the Afghan capital amid growing calls in Pakistan to take action against Maulana Fazlullah, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, who is believed to be hiding in eastern Afghanistan. Mr. Aziz ruled out the possibility of Pakistani troops entering Afghan territory to chase militants, but emphasized increased border security and intelligence-sharing, news media reported. “Peace can be restored by intelligence-sharing and taking action against terrorists in our own territories,” Mr. Aziz said. |