Pakistan Slams US Drone Strike Inside Its Territory

“Pakistan has continued to emphasize to the US the importance of sharing actionable intelligence so that appropriate action is taken against terrorists by our forces within our territory,” the Pakistani ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.
 
“Such unilateral actions, as that of today, are detrimental to the spirit of cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism.”
 
It further said Pakistan has also been stressing the need of early repatriation of Afghan refugees as their presence in Pakistan helps Afghan terrorists to melt and morph among them.
 
At least two people have been killed in a drone attack near Pak-Afghan border, according to reports on Wednesday.
 
Political Administration in tribal areas said an unmanned aircraft fired missile at a house in Spin Tal Dapa, a bordering area of Kurram and Orakzai Agencies, killing two people.
 
Pakistani government officials said it was carried out by a US drone. The US embassy in Islamabad declined to comment.
 
The US has been using hundreds of drones to conduct surveillance flights and airstrikes since Washington and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001.
 
The drone strikes, which started under the administration of former US President George W. Bush in 2004, were escalated during former US president Barack Obama’s term in office.
 
The US also carries out drone strikes in Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya.
 
US President Donald Trump recently gave new orders to launch drone strikes across various parts of the world in line with Washington’s so-called war on terror.
 
The US claims the airstrikes target members of al-Qaeda and other militants, but according to local officials and witnesses, civilians have also been the victims of the attacks in many cases.