A suspected U.S. drone strike killed 12 alleged militants in Pakistan's tribal region on Wednesday morning, intelligence officials told CNN.
It was the latest in a series of aerial assaults targeted at insurgents in North Waziristan, one of seven districts in Pakistan's volatile tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
In Wednesday's incident, seven missiles were fired on a suspected hideout of suspected militants in the Darga Mandi area, said two intelligence officials.
The officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The United States does not comment on suspected drone strikes. But it is the only country in the region known to have the ability to launch missiles from drones - which are controlled remotely.
Security analysts have described North Waziristan as a haven for various factions of Afghan and Pakistani Taliban and al Qaeda militants.
The majority of reported strikes this year have hit targets in the district, analysts said.
On Tuesday, two strikes killed 13 alleged militants. On Sunday, another five died. And last week, 29 suspected militants in the region were killed.
In June, the U.N.'s senior official for extrajudicial executions, Philip Alston, said the United States should explain the legal rationale for the CIA's campaign of drone strikes in northwest Pakistan, which he characterized as "a vaguely defined license to kill" that has created "a major accountability vacuum."
Alston also urged the Obama administration to disclose the number of civilians killed in the drone strikes.
The civilian death toll has angered Pakistanis, less than a tenth of whom support the strikes, said Peter Bergen, CNN's national security analyst.
According to the New America Foundation, a Washington-based think tank where Bergen is a fellow, the drones program in Pakistan has reportedly killed more than 1,000 people since 2004. Many of the casualties were civilians, the foundation said.
– Journalist Nasir Dawar contributed to this report.
Yeaaaaaa, for the steel dragons, keep on killing!!!!!
al Qaeda and the terrorists alike are the only ones hiding. If they would come out and fight in uniforms like real soldiers they would be slaughtered and this is why they hide within the civilian population not only because their cowards but also for propaganda reasons when civilians might be killed in the process!!!
Please God bring our troops home now. This is war inspired by crazy people and continues without end.
How right you are,joego 1!!!
Who asked you hindu (rat)
Sorry joego 1,that wasn't me who posted the above.Some joker has been copying me!
It's Amen, get it right you 360 degree yo yo
No matter we like it OR not, If we want to end this conflict in Afghanistan, we have to get help from Pakistan, so they can force Afghan Taliban to get on with negotiations with USA.
We have already tried alone for 9 years alone and its not working..
We will have to accept the fact that Pakistan Army / ISI will never let India get into any role in Afghanistan..because they do not want to get encircled by india from both sides..
As soon as we realize above, we can we out of this mess in Afghanistan.
I hope You like using My old name??? Because Now People know it isn't Me using it!!!
But parmaus is evidently is as he tries to make me look dumb.
I think the use of drones is better than popcorn. I wish the military would send up triple the amount though, not sure why they haven't already. I sure would like to see my tax dollars maximized through the firing of more missiles.
It is a lot better and a lot cleaner than using any other way!!!
Is that you again Beatty posting under my name? If you like this useless war so much why don't you post it under your own name?
The only obscenity is you, Daniel, and your terrorist supporting Paki buddies who want us to lose this war and surrender to the Taliban so they can turn Afghanistan once again into a haven for al Qaeda to plot more 9/11-style attacks against us.
CNN should close down these comment windows, the comments they invite are quite asinine.
What they need to do is block the comments from those who blog under other peoples' for their own self amusement and trying to make sick jokes out of this obnoxious war.
I agree, they also need to look into the ones posting comments supporting the taliban and report them to the CIA.
I think that Ernie Beatty just posted under my name trying to make me look stupid.It looks like he's been busy tonght!
This war is hardly obnoxious
I am not anything but American born and raised.
No it wasn't, i am sure it was Daniel-2.
No, it was Willie 12345.
The Taliban must be hunted like rabid animals
Oh, it's some damn Tea Partier using my name again trying to be funny.
I would rather be Hindu than an idiot like you.
I understand that you want our troops back home I have two cousins serving,one in Afghanistan as we speak, and I would love nothing more than to see them as soon as possible also I dont like the cost of civilian life, but this is war. There is a reason we have troops over seas as our president states "I want the American people to understand," he announced in March 2009. "We have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan." It is in times like these when we as an American people need to come togethter and have faith in our leaders.
Thank you. Very well stated. We need to come together not fall apart and turn on each other.
Come on MaryM,get over that ignorance of yours.There's nothing glorioius about this obscene war!
I would be more glorious when you get taken out by a drone, Daniel!
We must be doing something right if the terrorist supporters want us to leave so bad.
Honest MaryM,I did not post the above.Somebody's trying to make look stupid.I wish they'd quit!
The Jews are the chosen people. That is what they are known as. Not the Muslims.
MaryM. The muslims were also chosen, its just that he didn't want them to know they would spend their time on earth as the but of his joke.
Why do You idiots have to bring the Jews into every subject that is posted??? All We want to do is live Our lives in PEACE!!! You Idiots won't even let it happen on here!!!
Unfortunately Islamic terrorism is here for ever and we can defeat it under one name or another but it will just pop up again and again under another country or name. Bring our troops home and regroup.
No and quit bothering me
There goes Phunnie boy, using God's name this time.
Our troops are dying? What are you an idiot?
And so are a lot of people in the Middle East,the vast majority of them being civilians.We need to get out of there as soon as possible and forget our hidden agenda.I say leave Afghanistan for the Afghans!!!
Good posting,Daniel.We need more people like you to post in here instead of all these idiotic warmongers.Thank you.
Civilian death tolls are not going to decrease because we leave. There was a lack of awareness about Iraq and Afghanistan and frankly the American people didn't care how many non-Americans died before. Now all of a sudden you care? Look at places like Somalia where there is no US interference; innocent civilians are being killed at the hands of warlords and Islamic militants.
The terrorist supporting Pakis are easy to spot. They don't know how to punctuate properly and use numerous handles.
We will when the time is right... We left to soon the first time in both Iraq and Afghanistan and look at the mess We got when We went back!!!
If the majority of Afghans want to be rid of the Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists and the like and we have the power and capabilities to do so without more loss of our young men and women, even less than the nearly 3000 innocent men, women and children murdered on 9/11 because of these hateful people, if you can call them people then SO BE IT!!!
I didn't post the above, folks.I thank that parmaus did it trying to ridicule me.I'm really not that stupid!!!
Is that all we killed? Take the entire country out!! Save our troops!!!!!
Good grief Maritta,will you just get over your unreasonable hatred?What is most sickening is that people like you went ballistic at the Rev.Jones when he threatened to burn the Coran but now you applaud this obscene butchery!!!
We are trying Our best not to kill Innocent People!!! But innocents die when the Enemy uses Innocent People as shield...
Don't pay any attention to this bozo,Larry.He's only trying to be funny by posting under your name.We already know that you didn't post the above as we know what a good person you are and not a stupid warmonger!
United States is assassinating citizens of other states with no trial, due process, or transparency. The United States is acting as judge, jury, and executioner.
Drone attacks are violation of International Law in United Nations Charter Article 24.
lol, your a hoot
Right,Truth Teller and the rotten cowards who operate those ungodly drones need to brought to justice and sentenced appropriately.Unfortunately,Barack Obama has no sense of right or wrong.He's nothing but an "I don't give a damn" burocrat.
Larry,you just took the words right out of my mouth.Thanks a million!