Pakistan condemns US drone strike in North Waziristan

Islamabad, July 11 (IANS) Pakistan Friday condemned a US drone attack in North Waziristan that killed at least six people at a time when the country's security forces are engaged in a ground offensive against the militants in the region.

The US spy aircraft fired two missiles at a house and a vehicle in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan Thursday.

The government of Pakistan condemned the incident of US drone strike that took place on the morning of July 10 in North Waziristan which resulted in casualties, Xinhua cited the Pakistan foreign ministry as saying.

"As has been made clear on earlier occasions, Pakistan considers such strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

A foreign ministry statement said the US strikes also have a negative impact on the government's efforts to bring peace and stability in the region and the country as a whole.

The latest US attack surprised many in Pakistan as it took place at a time when the Pakistani security forces are after the militants in North Waziristan, which has also been a longstanding demand by the US.

It is unclear who had been targeted in Thursday's strike. Some sections of the media however claimed that four foreigners were among those killed in the attack.

It is the third drone attack in the same region in a month. The last drone strike was carried out June 18, killing at least eight militants.

On June 11, two successive drone strikes reportedly killed 16 people and injured a few others in Miranshah, the centre of North Waziristan.