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Deadly Drone Strike Hits Pakistan Taliban Stronghold


Security officials say a U.S. drone strike has killed at least four militants in Pakistan's restive tribal region near the Afghan border.

The attack happened early on October 30 some 25 kilometers west of Wana, the main town of the South Waziristan tribal region, which is considered a stronghold of Taliban militants.

The officials said that all the militants killed in the strike were foreigners.

The nationalities of the militants could not be independently verified as the media's access to the region is restricted.

South Waziristan is one of the seven lawless tribal districts of Pakistan that border Afghanistan.

These semi-autonomous areas have for years been a hideout for Islamist militants -- including Al-Qaeda and the homegrown Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as well as foreign fighters such as Uzbeks and Uyghurs.

Elsewhere, eight Pakistani soldiers were killed in a major operation against militants in the country's Khyber tribal region on October 29.

An army statement issued late on October 29 said the clash with troops also left 21 militants dead and several wounded in the Spinqamar area.

Earlier, the army declared its four-month old push against a main militant sanctuary in another tribal region, North Waziristan, a success.

The army added that its troops have so far killed 1,100 militants in North Waziristan.

These figures also could not be independently confirmed as journalists are not allowed to report from the tribal regions.

Civilians have been killed in previous operations.

The army believes that militants who fled its North Waziristan operation took refuge in in Khyber.

Based on reporting by AP AFP, and dawn.com

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