(Previous Incident Code: B3 )

Up to eight people, counting at least four civilians; three children and one woman, were killed as an alleged US or Pakistan regime-waged strike hit a house in Mosaki, North Waziristan, local and international media said.

A strike against Abu Hamza Rabia (‘al Qaeda’s Number 3’) destroyed his house and killed up to eight people, including Rabia’s wife. Also, as many as three children were also reported killed, all girls, at least one of them Rabia’s daughter.

AP cited an army officer in Peshawar and a security official in Miran Shah, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said eight people had died, including three children and one woman.

Between one and four militants were reportedly killed. First, Rabia himself was by some reported wounded in the leg, while Dawn, among others, said that he was killed in the strike. However, Rabia was reportedly only wounded as he was reported dead following an alleged US strike on December 1st, 2005 (B4).

CNN, who reported five fatalities, said that besides Rabia, “three foreigners” were also killed. Though, their combatant status was unclear.

As of now, the only a former US intelligence officer has confirmed the strike.
Initially, US officials were silent on the issue and the Pakistan Army claimed responsibility for the attack, blaming it on a blast caused whilst militants prepared bombs.

However, TV reporter Nasir Dawar, who lived next door to the attack site, later said:

“I grabbed my Kalashnikov, because I thought somebody fired a rocket at my house… There was nothing left but body parts, and a kid lying under some bricks.”

Also, Dawn cited a tribal witnesses who claimed that “missiles fired from unmanned air vehicle struck the house at around 1.45 am.”

Finally, according to a senior US intelligence officer, cited by the New Yorker, “that strike [June 17, 2014] and three subsequent ones in North Waziristan during 2005 were carried out with prior approval from I.S.I.”