PESHAWAR: At least four suspected militants, including a foreign militant of Arab origin, were killed in a US drone strike in the Birmal Tehsil of South Waziristan on Thursday.
According to sources, the drone fired two missiles at a compound in Birmal, destroying it completely.
At least four suspected militants were killed and several others were reportedly injured. The sources also claimed that an Arab national identified by the name of Adil has been killed in the strike.
These details could not be independently verified as the media’s access to the troubled region is restricted.
South Waziristan is among Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border which are rife with insurgents and are alleged to be strongholds of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, among others.
The tribal region was once the main stronghold for the Pakistani Taliban. The military launched a large offensive against militants there in 2009 but insurgents still operate in the area and periodically stage attacks.
Drone attacks are widely unpopular across Pakistan and according to a survey conducted in June this year, 66 per cent of the country’s citizens oppose these strikes. On the other hand, there are some who believe the US drones are better weapons to use against militants as compared to Pakistan Air Force jets.
US drone strikes targeting various countries based on intelligence reports remain deeply unpopular as according to a survey, out of 31 nations, at least half disapprove of the US conducting drone attacks targeting extremists in places such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.