| More on yesterday's most heartening story... |
At least 20 people were killed as several missiles hit a house in South Waziristan Agency on Sunday afternoon, locals told Daily Times. Seven missiles landed on the house of Haji Nurullah in Toog village, located four kilometres south of Wana, the regional headquarters of the South Waziristan Agency. Local journalist Sailab Mehsud said 20 people were killed and another five wounded in the missile attack. He said | All those who died were Arabs and Turkmen, who had gathered at the house when the attack occurred. |
It could not be confirmed where the missiles came from, but locals told Mehsud they were fired from two unmanned aircrafts. An elder, who asked not to be named, told Daily Times that the house of Nurullah, where the Arabs were holding a meeting, was situated about half a kilometre from the station of Taliban commander Maulvi Nazir in South Waziristan. “Nazir remained unhurt, but the attack left at least 15 Arabs dead,” added the elder who said he heard three huge blasts that jolted the area around the site of the attack. The initial three explosions were followed by four more blasts, said the unnamed elder, adding the attack was carried out around 3pm. He said the foreigners often gathered at the house and held meetings there.
Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas was not available for comments to Daily Times. He told AFP that he had received reports about the blasts, but had no details about casualties yet. “We are trying to get more details,” Abbas said.
Taliban cordon: Taliban and their local supporters cordoned the compound to retrieve the bodies from the rubble, said the elder. He said they did not see or hear any aircrafts, but such attacks had been blamed on unmanned drones in the past. State news agency APP said mortar shells were also fired on the house. Two Pakistani intelligence officials in the area, both speaking on condition of anonymity because of the nature of their work, told the Associated Press that another house nearby was also destroyed. Arab and Uzbek militants had been staying in the house, which belongs to a tribesman named Safraz Khan, the news agency quoted them as saying. Eight to ten people were killed in the second house, the intelligence officials said.