90 killed in air strikes in Pak's Waziristan

Islamabad: Over 90 people, most of them militants, were on Tuesday killed in air strikes by Pakistani jet fighters and two missile attacks by US drones in the restive South Waziristan tribal agency, the stronghold of local Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud.

Over 50 people, including foreign fighters, were killed when a US drone targeted a gathering offering funeral prayers for six militants who died earlier in the day in another attack by an unmanned spy plane.

The drone fired three missiles at the gathering, TV news channels quoted official sources as saying. Several others were injured in the attack. Militants cordoned off the area after the missile strike.

Some reports suggested key Taliban commanders, including Baitullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain, an alleged mastermind of suicide bombings, were present at the funeral prayers held at 3 pm. However, this could not be independently confirmed.

Earlier in the day, six militants were killed and seven injured when a US drone targeted a suspected Taliban training centre near Makeen, considered a stronghold of Mehsud. The compound and two vehicles were destroyed in that attack.

Reports said Taliban commander Sangeen Khan was among the six militants killed in first strike.

TV news channels reported 35 more militants were killed when Pakistani fighter jets carried out air strikes on Ladha town in South Waziristan, another stronghold of Mehsud. Several militant hideouts were destroyed in the bombardment.

Pakistan has described the US drone attacks in its tribal belt as a violation of its sovereignty and counter-productive for the war against terror. However,

analysts believe the US and Pakistan have reached a tacit understanding on the strikes by the pilotless planes operated by the CIA.

The Pakistan Army said on Tuesday it had completed positioning its troops for launching a campaign against Mehsud and his network in South Waziristan.

Jets have carried out retaliatory air strikes in North and South Waziristan after the Taliban attacked several military bases in the region.