Islamabad, March 16: A non-UN-sanctioned US drone attack has claimed the lives of at least five people in Pakistan’s northwest tribal area of North Waziristan, officials and local media reported.
The five were killed on Wednesday morning when a US drone aircraft fired missiles at a vehicle in Ambir Shaga area of Datta Khel tehsil, near the border with Afghanistan, a Media correspondent reported.
The vehicle was also destroyed in the attack, the pakistani officials added.
The attack comes two days after a US drone attack killed at least five people and wounded several others in Pakistan’s northwest tribal area of South Waziristan.
The US frequently carries out such attacks on Pakistan’s tribal areas. Attacks by unmanned American planes have left dozens of Pakistanis dead in the volatile region over the past weeks.
Nearly 1,200 people were killed in 124 unauthorized US drone attacks in Pakistan in 2010.
The aerial attacks, initiated by former Republican US President George W. Bush, have been escalated under Democratic President Barack Obama, who had promised major changes in the American militaristic policies.
The United States claims the raids target Pakistani militants, but Pakistani officials say many civilians are also killed in the attacks.
Meanwhile, Pakistani sources have stated that the US drone strikes kill 50 civilians for every one militant.
Islamabad has frequently slammed the United States over the drone strikes, saying they violate its sovereignty.
——–Agencies