July 26, 2010

Nineteen people died in three US drone strikes in north-west Pakistan on Sunday, a day after a similar raid killed 16 others, say local officials.

They said 10 suspected militants died in a strike in the Shaktoi area of South Waziristan on Sunday morning.

Later, two more raids killed five in Tabbi Tolkhel, North Waziristan, and four in Srarogha, South Waziristan.

Last week, a BBC investigation found more than 700 people had died in such drone strikes since January 2009.

A Taliban spokesman admitted to the BBC then that militants had been affected by the attacks, but he said they would win the war in the end.

Saturday's missile strike by an unmanned US plane killed 16 suspected insurgents at a compound in Dwasarak village, South Waziristan, near the Afghan border, Pakistani security officials said.

It is difficult to check if any civilians died because the region is virtually inaccessible to journalists.

North and South Waziristan are havens for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan.

US drone attacks are highly controversial in Pakistan, fuelling the public's strong anti-American sentiment.