Two US drone attacks on Monday killed at least 21 people in tribal region along the Afghan border, security officials said. Both strikes took place in the district of South Waziristan, where forces are fighting Taliban and al Qaeda militants.
An intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that a US drone aircraft fired four missiles at a truck in the Shwal valley of the district. "The ... vehicle was completely destroyed in the attack and the locals have pulled eight bodies from it," said the officer.
Reports from the remote area indicated that three "foreigners" and five local Taliban were killed, the official said. The term "foreigner" is used locally to describe al Qaeda-linked militants of Arab or Central Asian origin. A few hours later, another missile attack took place on a house in the Manto area of the district. "A drone fired two missiles at the compound. We have received reports that so far 13 people have been confirmed killed in the second attack," said a second intelligence officer, who also sought anonymity. The identity of those killed in the second attack was not immediately known.