U.S drone strikes kill 16 in SWA

PESHAWAR (SANA): A US drone fired four missiles into a compound reportedly used by militants in the South Waziristan Agency on Saturday, killing at least 16 militants, security officials said.

The missiles targeted the compound in Dwasarak village, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan district, a senior Pakistani security official who wished to remain anonymous told media.

“At least 16 militants have been killed in this attack,” he said adding that two US drones fired four missiles.

Two intelligence officials, one in Wana and one based in Peshawar, also confirmed the attack and the death toll.

South Waziristan, considered a militant stronghold, was the scene of a major Pakistani offensive last year.

Dwasarak is close to the Afghan border in the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan.

Officials said militants belonging to local commander Maulana Halimullah were killed in the attack, the second time that US drones have targeted his men.

A security official in Miranshah, the main town of the neighboring North Waziristan tribal district said militants were also using the compound as a training camp.

Soon after the attack, militants surrounded the village and forced residents to stay in their houses, another security official in Wana told media.

It was not immediately clear whether there were any high-value targets among the dead, official said.

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