No confirmation on Dattakhel drone strike: FO

Drone strike in North Waziristan kills 6 by dawn-news PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Foreign Office on Thursday did not confirm a drone attack in North Waziristan tribal region which reportedly killed six suspected militants earlier today. Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said there is no confirmation on the fresh drone attack. " Pakistan's position on US drone attacks is very clear. Pakistan strongly opposes such attacks particularly at a time when the military operation is underway in North Waziristan," Aslam said reiterating the FO’s position on drones. The drone attack reportedly took place in North Waziristan's Dattakhel area where the unmanned aircraft fired missiles at a house and a vehicle. Intelligence sources said two missiles were fired from a US drone targeting a compound and vehicle in Madakhel village of Dattakhel tehsil. Sources added that six suspected militants were killed whereas the compound and the vehicle were destroyed in the strike. The identities of those killed in the strikes have not yet been ascertained. Earlier on June 12, separate US aerial drones had fired missiles at militant hideouts. The two successive US drone strikes had killed at least 16 suspected militants in North Waziristan. Meanwhile, six suspected militants were killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan's Miramshah tehsil on June 18 soon after the commencement of the Zarb-i-Azb military operation against foreign and local militants in the lawless tribal region. FO calls upon Israel to stop genocide of Palestinians Aslam also strongly condemned Israeli attacks against Palestinians and called upon Israel to stop genocide of Palestinians. Responding to a question, FO spokesperson said Pakistan did not make any appeal to the international community for their assistance. "PM Nawaz Sharif has told us clearly that no foreign assistance should be sought for IDPs and that they would be settled by mobilising local resources," the spokesperson said. When her attention was drawn on reports that India has asked United Nations Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP) to vacate a building in New Delhi, she said by doing so Jammu and Kashmir’s disputed status could not be changed. "UNMOGIP is working under the UN mandate therefore its status cannot be changed by vacating a building," she said.