A U.S. missile strike killed three suspected militants in a
Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border on Friday, a reminder of
the weapons at American disposal at a time of intense strain with
Islamabad, two Pakistan officials said.
Stepping up the tempo of
the missile strikes is seen as one possible American option if Pakistan
does not act on Washington's stepped up demands to attack Afghan
militants sheltering on the Pakistani side of the border.
Last
week, U.S. officials accused Pakistan's spy agency of assisting the
Haqqani militant faction in attacks on Western targets in Afghanistan,
the most serious allegation yet of Pakistani duplicity in the 10-year
war.
The drone-fired missiles hit a vehicle near the Angore Adda
border town of South Waziristan, the officials said, speaking on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the
media. The victims were associates of Maulvi Nazir, a prominent
militant commander in the region, according to the officials.
South
Waziristan was the main sanctuary for the Pakistani and foreign
militants until the military launched an offensive there in 2009. The
region has also witnessed scores of American drone attacks.
The
missile attacks are seen at the most effective weapon Washington has at
hitting al-Qaida and Afghan militants like the Haqqanis in the
northwest. There were more than 100 such attacks last year; this year
there have been around 50.
Most have hit targets in neighboring
North Waziristan, considering the main militant sanctuary and the base
of the Haqqani network. The Pakistani army has refused to launch an
operation in North Waziristan despite U.S. demands, leading to
speculation that Washington may consider more unilateral options.
Sending ground troops in could risk a confrontation with Pakistani soldiers and lead to a rupture in the alliance.
Drone strikes are unpopular, but have been tolerated by the Pakistani army. AP
