US drone strikes kill 12 militants in North Waziristan

Issori (Pakistan), Aug 15(ANI): At least 12 militants have been reportedly killed in US drone strikes in Issori village in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan.

According to reports, unmanned US Predator aircraft fired missiles at a compound, supposedly a hideout of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants, just outside of Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan

"We have reports that 12 militants were killed in the attack. The death toll could be more," The BBC quoted a Pakistani intelligence official, as saying.

The air strike on Saturday was the first such attack since devastating floods hit Pakistan in late July.ver 950 people have been killed in nearly 200 missile attacks in the troubled northwest tribal areas of Pakistan since 2008.

Earlier, a report by a top UN official had criticized the Obama administration for continuing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated drone attacks in the semi-autonomous tribal areas of Pakistan, as it has resulted in countless civilian deaths.

UN's special rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary executions Phillip Alston, in his report, argued that drone strikes amount to a "license to kill" without being held accountable, a license the U.S. would not want any other country to have.

While the Obama administration is yet to publicly accept responsibility for the drone hits, the CIA maintains that the attacks carried out by the unmanned aircraft are in fact overseen by the White House and Congress, and refuted reports that the agency lacked accountability. (ANI)