PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suspected U.S. drone strike killed seven militants in Pakistan near the Afghan border Friday, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
The missiles struck a compound in Mangrothi village in the Shawal area, along the border dividing the North and South Waziristan tribal regions, the two officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
It is the first drone strike since the country’s new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was sworn in Wednesday. Sharif has lashed out against the U.S. drone program, which many Pakistanis oppose because they say the strikes kill large numbers of innocent civilians — something the U.S. denies.
During his campaign, he sometimes criticized the U.S. and its policy of using drones to kill militants in the tribal areas of Pakistan.
Speaking to parliament earlier this week, he once again called for an end to the drone policy.
“This daily routine of drone attacks, this chapter shall now be closed,” Sharif said to widespread applause. “We do respect others’ sovereignty. It is mandatory on others that they respect our sovereignty.”
The bombing comes 10 days after a similar U.S. drone attack killed the Pakistani Taliban’s second-in-command, Wali-ur-Rehman, and six others in a major blow to the militant group.
President Barack Obama said last month the United States would scale back drone strikes, only using them when a threat was “continuing and imminent.”
Sharif gave few details on how he might end the strikes, however.
The U.S. considers the drone program vital to battling al-Qaida and other insurgents who use the tribal areas of Pakistan as a safe haven.
Reuters contributed to this report.
