Islambad : Pakistan condemned a US drone strike in the country’s North Waziristan tribal region Saturday which killed at least 11 people.
Security sources said the US drone fired two missiles at a compound located in Datta Khel town of North Waziristan, a restive area at Pakistan-Afghan border, early Saturday morning.
They said the missiles fired from the drone struck a hideout of Taliban militants from Pakistan’s Punjab province when they were holding a meeting.
“The government of Pakistan condemns the incident of US drone strike that took place near Miranshah in North Waziristan during the early hours of Saturday, which led to many causalities,” the foreign ministry said.
“Pakistan regards such strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a foreign ministry statement said hours after the attack was launched at a time when Pakistani forces are involved in a major offensive against the militants in North Waziristan.
The foreign ministry said these US strikes have a negative impact on the government’s efforts to bring peace and stability in Pakistan and the region, Xinhua reported.
The US has increased drone strikes since the Pakistani forces started the major operation June 15 and the military said over 400 foreign and local militants had been killed and dozens of their hideouts destroyed.
Senior US officials said the CIA-controlled drones were targeting the militants who use Waziristan as a launching pad for their cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.
Pakistan has dispelled the impression that the recent series of drone strikes had any link with the ongoing military operation.