[Dawn] A US drone fired missiles into a house in Tabi Saidgai area of North Waziristan on Tuesday night, killing 12 people, most of them suspected militants. Local people said the missiles damaged the residence of one Maulvi Taib Shah who hailed from Lakki Marwat. It was not clear if Maulvi Taib was among those killed. A number of adjacent houses were also damaged in the attack.Alas, poor Maulvi Talib. Titzup in the prime of life...
Some of the bodies, local people said, were charred beyond recognition. Three children and two women were among the dead, they added. The family was suspected of having links with Taliban militants.
Comes as a surprise, huh?
This was the second drone attack in the area in 24 hours. Five people were killed in a similar attack in Machikhel area of Mir Ali tehsil on Monday night.
Reuters adds: Nine or 10 militants were killed in the attack, intelligence officials said. They said the target of the missile strike was the house of a cleric near the Afghan border used as a militant hideout.
The holy man being Maulvi Talib...
'Nine to 10 militants have been killed. They are locals affiliated with the Haqqani group,' an intelligence official in the region told Reuters referring to veteran Afghan guerrilla commander Jalaluddin Haqqani.