Pakistan strongly condemns US drone attack in N Waziristan

Pakistan has expressed serious concern over a drone attack in its North Waziristan region by the US, saying that it violated its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law.

The Daily Times quoted a Foreign Office spokesman, as saying in a statement that the government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that the drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives, have human rights and humanitarian implications and violate the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law.

Islamabad has long been publicly opposing drone strikes in its tribal region.

However, the US continues to launch drone attacks, saying they are essential in eliminating militants in the semi-autonomous tribal belt region, considered to be a hub of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants.

According to Britain's Bureau of Investigative Journalism, US drone attacks in Pakistan have killed up to 3,587 people since 2004, up to 884 of them civilians.