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| Four foreigners among nine killed in US drone attack |
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Friday, October 10, 2008
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Nine people, five of them civilians, and four suspected foreign militants, were killed and several others injured in yet another missile attack by a US spy plane on Ghundai village of Tapi area of the North Waziristan tribal region Thursday evening.
Tribal sources said two US spy planes were seen flying at extremely low altitude over Ghundai village during the attack. Sources close to militants told this correspondent from Tapi village near Mirali that the US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles on the house and hujra of Maulvi Sahar Gul in Ghundai village.
Maulvi Sahar Gul is said to have affiliation with pro-government tribal militants led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who gave up fighting against Pakistani security forces under a peace agreement signed between the two sides on February 17.
The sources said both the missiles levelled the house and hujra of Maulvi Sahar Gul to the ground. Five among nine people killed in the attack were family members of Maulvi Sahar Gul, including three children and two women, and four guests staying at the hujra.
The sources said six guests, an oblique reference to foreigners affiliated with al-Qaeda, were staying at the hujra, which was blitzed by the Hellfire missiles. Two of the guests were reportedly injured in the attack.
Announcements were made via loudspeakers at mosques, asking the local residents to reach the attack scene and help retrieve bodies and the injured from debris of the buildings. “I think the death toll could rise as some people were feared to be trapped under the roof of another room of the hujra,” said a tribal militant, who wished not to be named.
The sources said the doctors were also appealed to reach the village and give them first aid. Tribal sources said two US spy planes, as usual, were seen flying over various villages of North and South Waziristan tribal regions Thursday.
Once one of the spy planes was seen flying at extremely low altitude over Tapi, Miramshah and Tolkhel villages, the tribal militants fired at the aircraft using their heavy weapons but could not shoot it down.
Villagers said they had seen Pakistani gunship helicopters in the area and hoped the choppers would fire at the US drone, but the choppers after flying over the villages finally returned to a military base without firing any shot. The tribespeople have been complaining of spending nights outside their homes due to fear of being fired by the drones.
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