US drone strikes harming anti-terror efforts: Pakistan

Islamabad, July 10: Pakistan on Thursday said US drone strikes were harming the military operation in North Waziristan tribal region aimed at eliminating terrorism.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, during her weekly briefing in Islamabad, condemned the drone strikes in Pakistani territories saying these were counterproductive and unacceptable as these violate the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The comments came hours after a US spy aircraft killed at least six people in North Waziristan where security forces have launched a major offensive against local Taliban and foreign militants, Xinhua reported.

Security sources said the drone fired two missiles at a house and a vehicle in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan. There was no report of identities of the slain men. However, a section of the media said some were foreigners.

"Pakistan has succeeded generating strong public opinion against the US drones, as we have witnessed increasingly emerging consensus among international community against drones," Aslam said.

It was the third drone attack in the same region in a month. The last drone strike was on June 18, which left at least eight militants dead.

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

IANS