US drone attack kills 11 Taliban militants in Pakistan

Islamabad, July 19: At least 11

militants were killed in a US drone attack in

's troubled northwestern tribal region near the border with Afghanistan, officials said.

The unmanned aircraft fired several missiles at a house in Doga Madakhel village of Datakhel area of North Waziristan at about 3 am local time.

A security official said that 11 militants from the Punjabi Taliban group were killed in the attack. "Those killed were part of Punjabi Taliban group which is strong in the eastern province of Punjab on the Indian border," he said.

Another official said there was at least one high value target among the dead militants but he refused to give details. This is third drone strike since start of a military operation on June 15 to wipe out the bases of Taliban and other militants.

More than 450 militants have been killed in the military offensive. At least 18 militants were killed in the previous drone attack three days ago. Pakistan publicly opposes the drone attacks but there is growing suspicion that the latest strikes might have some sort of official approval.

PTI