(Previous Incident Code: B9 )

A possible US drone strike in Mami Rogha, north Waziristan, killed up to 34 people, possibly including civilian children and adults, as well as 18 ‘foreigners’ (Chechen, Uzbek and Arab), local and international media reported.

While some reports described the attack as being on a small camp, others said that a religious seminary was hit, with claims that children present at the school were killed. A government official told Reuters the missiles had hit ‘three houses and a tent’.

Washington Post said that “at least 20” were killed while The News put the final death toll at 34. The Long War Journal reported that “upwards of 32 Taliban and possibly foreign al Qaeda were killed in the strike on the camp”.

However, reports suggested that civilians were among the fatalities. The News reported that “quoting villagers in Mami Noma Manzarkhel, the remote village that was attacked with missiles, tribal and militants sources in Miranshah said 50 students and their teachers were present in the Binori Madrassa when it was hit and all of them were killed or injured… Most of those killed in the Madrassa in North Waziristan Tuesday were also stated to be young religious students.”

Washington Post likewise reported that an unspecified number of children were among the killed. The News also added that “scores” were left wounded – again their status was unclear.

ABC News reported that the camp at Mami Rhoga had recently held a “graduation ceremony” for suicide bombers heading for the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Germany. It added:

“The tape shows Taliban military commander Mansoor Dadullah, whose brother was killed by the US last month, introducing and congratulating each team as they stood. “These Americans, Canadians, British and Germans come here to Afghanistan from faraway places,” Dadullah says on the tape. “Why shouldn’t we go after them?” The leader of the team assigned to attack Great Britain spoke in English. “So let me say something about why we are going, along with my team, for a suicide attack in Britain,” he said. “Whether my colleagues, companions and Muslim brothers die today or tonight, every drop of our blood will invigorate the Muslim (unintelligible).”

It was, however, unclear who and what was behind the incident. Pakistani officials claimed the explosions were from a bomb-making accident, saying that the explosion was “not from outside.”

However, residents said they had seen a drone fire at least two missiles. Washington Post cited respected local journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai as saying that local residents had told him missiles from a drone had actually destroyed “a religious school and several adjacent houses.”

The Long War Journal, citing anonymous Pakistani intelligence source and local residents, also reported that ” U.S. pilotless drone aircraft carried out the attack at around 10:30 a.m.”

The following day, The News carried eyewitness reports from the scene which challenged whether a madrassa had been hit.