US unmanned drones Thursday fired four missiles into a suspected Taliban compound in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal area along Afghan border, killing at least 30 and injuring 10 people, intelligence officials said.
The missile attack severely damaged the building allegedly used by local Taliban in Data Khel, a main town in the troubled tribal district of North Waziristan.
“We have received reports that at least 30 people have died while 10 more are injured in the attack,” an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the casualties were all Islamist insurgents.
“The drone attack took place when local Taliban were holding a meeting at the compound,” he said.
“The exact identity of those killed is not determined yet since Taliban have cordoned off the area. We have to see if there was some important commander among the dead,” the official said.
Another official confirmed the incident saying that death toll might rise most of those injured were said to be in critical condition. “A large number of Taliban were gathered there when the missiles struck,” added the official.
The US drones routinely fire missiles into Pakistan’s tribal regions from where Taliban and Al Qaeda militants carry out cross-border raids on NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Most of these attacks have targeted suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan district where Washington wants Pakistan to move more firmly against bases of Islamist insurgents.
On Wednesday, a US drone fired three missiles into a vehicle in the same area of Datta Khel, killing five people.
Pakistan says its forces are over-stretched after deploying around 150,000 troops in the tribal region and adjoining northwestern province of Kkhyber-Pakhtunkhwa to fight the Taliban.
Islamabad has officially denounced the highly unpopular US drone strikes but analysts believe that the country’s intelligence agencies assist the US Central Intelligence Agency in identifying targets.
A Pakistan general said last week that the drone attacks were effective in eliminating militants.
Major General Ghyaur Mehmood, commander of the army’s 7th Division in North Waziristan told reporters last Tuesday that 964 Islamic militants had been killed in about 164 drone attacks from 2007 to 2011.
Of these were 171 foreigners from Arab countries and Central Asia, thought to be linked to Al Qaeda.