(Previous Incident Code: B14 )

An alleged US drone launched six missiles at a house in Dhook Pir Bagh, south Waziristan, killing up to 20 millitants, local and international media reported, though locals said that four civilians also were among the fatalities.

The strike hit the home of tribal elder Noorullah Wazir who was found killed. The Long War Journal reported that the alleged US Predator airstrike was launched against “a fortified compound owned by Pakistani tribal elder, Noorullah Wazir.”

According to internal data collected by the tribal agency authorities, at least 18 ‘non-locals’  were killed. Other reports said that between 16 and 20 militants were killed.

Dr Arshad Waheed, who ran a local health clinic, was among those who died. A leaked US intelligence document simply noted that ‘more Al Qaeda trainees were killed’. Although some claimed at the time that Waheed was a humble doctor, al Qaeda later issued a video showing the armed medic at one of its training facilities. Among the killed was also a 20-year old militant identified as Mohammad Hisham.

However, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s field researchers later reported four civilians among those killed – all identified by name as listed below.

Finally, a local journalist named Sailab Mehsud, cited by South Asia Terrorism Portal, said besides from the 20 fatalities, “another five were wounded in the missile attack”. It was unclear whether they were militants or civilians.

After the strike, Al Qaeda blamed Pakistani and American planes. However, the Pakistani military was not conducting counterinsurgency operations in that area at the time, as reported by The Long War Journal.

Meanwhile, several sources, some citing eyewitnesses, blamed a US drone.  A US secret memo later revealed information about the US drone program in Pakistan, which included information about the strike on March 16.

Head of the Pakistan army General Kayani later secretly complained to Centcom that:

“Certain U.S. actions, such as the Predator strike in the Wazir area on March 16, only serve to “upset the balance” in that area and illustrated U.S. misunderstanding of the “complexity” in the FATA.

However, the US has, as of now, not officially confirmed its involvement in the strike.