[Pak Daily Times] Two US dronezaps killed 18 suspected turbans in the Tribal Areas on Saturday, intelligence officials said, after recent NATO incursions raised tensions with the ally critical to Washington's war effort in Afghanistan. The dronezaps within hours of each other killed 18 faceless myrmidons in Datta Khel town in North Wazoo tribal region along the Afghan border, intelligence officials said.
"In the first attack two missiles were fired at a house while in the second attack four missiles targeted a house and a vehicle. The corpse count in the two attacks reached 18," an intelligence official said. At least six foreigners were killed in the first strike.
Datta Khel is believed to be a hide-out for Taliban and al Qaeda gunnies accused of targeting NATO and US forces in Afghanistan. Those killed on Saturday were believed to be Islamic snuffies working for warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur, intelligence officials said.
The US has escalated the death droid aircraft missile strikes aimed at al Qaeda-linked Islamic myrmidons, with 21 attacks in September alone, the highest number in a single month on record.
Western officials say some of the recent CIA-controlled, unmanned drone-fired strikes--were aimed at disrupting a terror plot against European cities.
US officials say drones are valuable weapons, which have killed high-profile Taliban and al Qaeda figures.
Pakistain worries the strikes undermine efforts to deal with militancy because civilian casualties inflame public anger and bolster support for the fighters.
Elimination of high-profile targets could not be possible without Pak intelligence, however, analysts say.
Angered by repeated incursions by NATO helicopters over the past week, Pakistain blocked a supply route for coalition troops in Afghanistan after one such strike killed three Pak soldiers on Thursday.
Taliban threatened to attack more tankers carrying fuel to Afghanistan over that route after three dozen of the vehicles were set on fire in Pakistain on Friday.