SKNinews

US drone strikes kill 12 Pakistani militants

Pakistani military officials said the drones fired 10 missiles and pounded three different militant compounds in the Babar district. Twelve people died and six others were injured in the drone attacks, said the officials, who asked not to be named because they were not allowed to speak to the media.

The militants targeted were led by Hakimullah Mehsud and had set up sanctuaries in the mountainous district, about 85 miles northeast of Wana, the capital of the South Waziristan tribal region. Mehsud's fighters often target the Pakistani army.

The death toll could rise as dozens of militants were present in the compound during the drone strikes, sources said.

Tribesmen in the adjoining Razmak area of North Waziristan region told reporters that they had heard heavy blasts overnight but could not confirm if the explosions were drone strikes.

Islamabad opposes the use of U.S. drones on its territory, but is believed to have tacitly approved some strikes in past. The drone campaign also infuriates many Pakistanis who see them as a violation of their country's sovereignty. Many Pakistanis complain that innocent civilians have also been killed, something the U.S. rejects.