US drone strikes kill around 60 alleged militants in Pakistan within 24 hours

Islamabad, Dec 18 (ANI): A series of US drone attacks killed around 60 alleged militants in a span of 24 hours in Pakistan's Khyber tribal district, according to officials.

At least 50 people lost their lives in three unmanned air strikes in the Tirah Valley, a day after seven others were killed nearby, the BBC reports.

Security officials said that all the dead in the attacks were militants - a claim that cannot be independently confirmed, it added.

The first missile attack apparently took place at 0800 local time (0300 GMT) on Friday in the Tirah Valley, killing seven Taliban militants from outside the Khyber tribal region and injuring eleven, when two vehicles were targeted in the Sandana area, a Pakistani security official said.

Minutes later, another missile strike targeted a compound in the Speen Drang area where pro-Taliban militants from the Lashkar-e-Islam group were holding a meeting, killing at least 32 people, including senior leaders of the group, the official added.

The third attack took place in the afternoon in the Narai Baba area, according to the official.

"A compound was hit killing at least 11 militants," said the official, adding,"All were from Swat and were taking refuge due to the military operation there."

On Thursday, at least seven more militants loyal to the Taliban chief, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, died when several drone missiles demolished a house.

Meanwhile, it emerged this week that two white British al-Qaeda members had apparently died in a US drone raid in North Waziristan in recent days.

The Muslim converts, aged 48 and 25, were killed in a missile attack on a vehicle six days ago, said Pakistani officials. (ANI)