Suspected US drone kills at least 9 in Pakistan
Drone attacks in Pakistan, such as the one that killed Badar Mansoor on Thursday, have fallen sharply since November after an airstrike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, leading to a breakdown in relations between the US and Pakistan.
Pakistani officials said a believed US drone shot two missiles into a compound North Waziristan today, killing at least nine suspected militants, reported Reuters.
The United States on Sunday resumed drone activity there after stalling for a month due to threats from Islamabad, where lawmakers warned that the controversial attacks would further imperil fragile US-Pakistan relations.
Pakistan says the drone strikes take too many civilian lives and violate the nation's sovereignty, Reuters said.
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Today's attack reportedly took place in the Shawal tribal district near the Afghan border, an area the US believes serves as a base Taliban and Al-Qaeda activity, said Agence-France Press.
American officials rarely comment on reports of suspected US drone strikes in Pakistan.
US President Barack Obama, however, has voiced support for the disputed program, arguing that a "pinpoint strike" is "less intrusive," reported CNN.
The US temporarily suspended the attacks in Pakistan after a US assault mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani troops last November, a high-profile incident that strained ties between the two countries, reported the LA Times.
The US drone program, the November attack, and the US-led raid that last year captured wanted terrorist leader Osama bin Laden — which American officials did not inform Pakistan about until after it had been completed — have all led to the souring of US-Pakistan relations in recent months.