Drone strike in Pakistan kills 8

KARACHI, Pakistan— A US drone strike has killed eight people in northwestern Pakistan, intelligence sources told Reuters.

According to Pakistani officials, missiles were fired upon buildings close to the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan. The BBC, who cited Pakistani officials, reported that two of those killed were foreign fighters from Uzbekistan.

Reuters reported that a foreign tactical trainer for Al Qaeda was also among those killed, although reports about his nationality varied– some said he was from Somali while others said he was from the United Arab Emirates.

Three others were injured in the attack, which took place along a stretch of the Afghan border known for being a stronghold for the Taliban. Abu Yahya al-Libi was killed nearby in a drone attack last year, Reuters said.

The latest drone strike comes after retired US General Stanley McChrystal said yesterday that though drones had helped US troops, they were hated viscerally around the world. He explained that their overuse could harm American security in the long run.

According to McChystral, who was speaking during an interview with Reuters, drones are part of this "perception of American arrogance that says, 'Well we can fly where we want, we can shoot where we want, because we can.'"

In Pakistan, drones are a hot-button issue criticized by people who say that Pakistan is a sovereign country and that the US's use of drone warfare is a violation of its rights. Others criticize drones for the collateral damage it inflicts– many civilians have been injured and killed by drones in Pakistan's northwest.

Last week, Maulvi Nazir, a member of the Afghanistan Taliban was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan. On Sunday, a drone strike killed between 10 and 12 people. With President Barack Obama's nomination of John Brennan as the new CIA director, many expect that drone strikes within Pakistan are only going to increase.