US drone strikes kill 18 in Pakistan

Three US drone attacks on a single day have killed at least 18 people, injured several others in Pakistan’s tribal district of North Waziristan.

Pakistani security officials say the latest attack has killed four people, adding that 14 others had been killed in the other two US drone attacks in the same volatile tribal district.

The last drone attack targeted a building in a village five kilometers northwest of Miranshah town.

The United States claims its drone attacks target militants. However, hundreds of civilians have been killed in such imprecise attacks since 2007.

The issue of civilian casualties has strained relations between Islamabad and Washington, as statistics show that the US missile strikes have killed more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians over the past two years.

Islamabad has repeatedly condemned the strikes and considered them to be in clear violation of its sovereignty.