Pakistan on April 15 strongly condemned a US drone attack in North Waziristan tribal region that killed four people a day earlier, urging Washington to "stop such attacks based on mutual respect and established international norms." The US craft fired missiles on a house in Datta Khel town, bordering Afghanistan, officials said. "Such unilateral attacks are in contravention of international law and counterproductive to the stability of this country," the foreign ministry said. "The government of Pakistan has maintained its position that drone strikes are violative of its territorial integrity and sovereignty."

The statement comes days after former president Pervez Musharraf reportedly admitted having had secretly granted permission to the US on a "few occasions" to carry out drone strikes inside Pakistan. But the government asserted no approval had ever been given to the CIA to operate drones. (IANS, April 15) Of course, the Pentagon also operates drones in Pakistan independent of the CIA.

The day after the government's statement, at least five were killed and seven injured when a US drone struck a compound in South Waziristan. Missiles reportedly hit a residential compound in Sararogha village, Babar Kot district. The targeted house was reportedly owned by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan militants. Local people started to dig out the bodies and injured from the debris, but the rescue effort was delayed as drones continued to fly low over the village, creating panic. (The Nation, Pakistan, April 17)