By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan has lodged a protest with the US over a drone attack and called it a “core irritant” in counter-terror ties, a media report said Thursday.
The Dawn daily reported that it was for the first time in the last couple of years that a demarche was issued on a drone strike that targetted militants.
Military sources said those killed and wounded in the drone attack Wednesday were Afghans.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the drone attack at Angoor Adda. We have repeatedly said that such attacks are counter-productive and only contribute to strengthening the hands of terrorists,” Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir was quoted as telling US Ambassador Cameron Munter.
Tehmina Janjua, Foreign Office spokesperson, said Munter had not been summoned. The US ambassador was handed over the demarche when he was at the Foreign Office to discuss bilateral matters.
“Drone attacks have become a core irritant in the counter-terror campaign,” said a Foreign Office statement.
The Angoor Adda strike took place a day after ISI chief General Shuja Pasha met CIA director Leon Panetta in Washington.