Pakistani tribesmen 'shoot down US drone'
Jan. 24, 2010
Local tribesman in Pakistan's North Waziristan region claim to have shot down a US drone. The unnamed aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed in the tribal area.
The crash occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Hamdhoni area of North Waziristan, the Associated Press reported, citing two intelligence officials.
Drone attacks near the country's border with Afghanistan have been a controversial issue, especially since the attacks are imprecise in nature and usually result in civilian deaths.
However, the UAV strikes have remained an integral part of US raids on alleged militant targets in Pakistan's tribal areas — which Washington claims to be a safe heaven for militants who cross the border from war-torn Afghanistan.
A local resident said local tribesmen are now congratulating each other for downing the drone.
In 2008, the Pakistani army blamed a similar crash in neighboring South Waziristan on technical problem and rejected claims that it had been shot down.
US drones have blitzed North and South Waziristan with 12 missile strikes following the December 30 bombing that killed seven CIA employees at a remote base in Afghanistan.
Over the past two years, the US Central Intelligence Agency has stepped up its covert operations in Pakistan, increasing the use of drone attacks.
Since 2006, hundreds of people including women and children have been killed in US drone attacks in Pakistan.
ZHD/MMN