Thaindian News

MIRANSHAH, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) — Two separate U.S. drone strikes killed at least 22 people in Pakistan’s North Waziristan on Monday, local media reported.

Geo Television reported that an unmanned aircraft fired at least six missiles at various targets in the Mir Ali district, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of Miranshah. The strikes were aimed at the Shera Tala village.

As a result of the attack on the Shera Tala village, where Taliban militants are heavily concentrated, at least twelve people were killed.

Earlier, also in Mir Ali district, ten people were killed when three unmanned drones fired four missiles at two vehicles, one of them carrying large amounts of ammunition which magnified the blast. There were no immediate reports of civilian casualties.

The U.S. drone campaign in Afghanistan is aimed at disrupting Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the Afghan border area with Pakistan. The U.S. considers the region as the most dangerous place on Earth.

But controversy has surrounded the drone strikes all year long as local residents and officials have blamed them for killing civilians and motivating young men to join the Taliban. In addition, the Pakistani government does not support the strikes.

So far this year, the United States has fired at least 110 missiles inside Pakistani territory, which is more than double than registered in 2009.

On December 18, at least 54 suspected militants were killed in the Sipah area of the Khyber tribal region of Pakistan which borders Afghanistan. The death toll included high-ranking officials as they gathered for a meeting.