(Previous Incident Code: B15 )

A US airstrike launched two missiles against structures in Damadola, Bajour Agency, killing at least seven but as many as 30 people, mostly reported as militants though some reports said that women and children were among the fatalities.

Local tribesmen cited by The News, said that ” two US spy planes, which were hovering over the town for the past two days, fired two missiles at Bar Kelay in Damadola town, destroying a house, an adjacent mosque and a Hujra (male guesthouse).”

The News reported that the attacked housing compound was “owned by Maulana Ubaidullah and Maulana Taj Muhammad, maternal uncles of militants’ chief commander in Bajaur Maulana Faqir Muhammad.”

The strike was initially reported to have killed Abu Sulayman al-Jazairi, an al Qaeda weapons expert, though he actually died in a drone strike on April 29th, 2009, Ob14.

Overall, reports spanned from seven to as many as 30 killed, the highest reported by The News.

It was, however, not clear how many were civilians. Several reports said that women and children died. For example, Urkunet reported:

“the buildings attacked by the drone included a two-story compound where “militants” were thought to be having dinner and the home of a local “militant commander.” Pakistani security officials “presume[d] that all those present there [had] been killed.” By all accounts, women and children were among the dead although the exact number is unknown.”

Sources detailed that between two and three children were killed. Meanwhile, it was unclear whether the local Taliban spokesman confirmed or denied that women had died in the attack.

Many reported that around 20 people died, hereof most reported as militants. A Taliban spokesman confirmed that at least 11 militants were killed, along with a grandson of Taj Muhammad. Also named as killed were three ‘adolescents’, Zaheer, Najibullah and Shahkir. Among the dead was also the brother of local militant commander Abdul Wali Raghib, named as Shah Wali.

Dawn, who put the death toll at 18, reported that some of victims were from the Mehsud tribe of South Waziristan and Punjab along with some foreign militants.

Finally, between six and nine people were left wounded, but again it was unclear whether they were militants or civilians.

Angry villagers turned away government officials trying to visit the site, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Gilani later condemned the attack, the first since he took office, stating: ‘I strongly condemn this. It’s absolutely wrong. It’s unfair. They should not have done this action. Several innocent people have been killed. We condemn it.’ The attack took place on the day of a prisoner exchange between the Pakistan Army and the Taliban. At the funeral of locals killed in the strike militant Faqir Mohammed told the crowds:

“The missile strike was aimed at subverting the peace process between the government and the Pakistani Taliban but we will not allow this conspiracy to succeed. We want peace and do not want further bloodshed in Pakistan. We are defenders of the frontiers of Pakistan and our basic aim is to defend its sovereignty.”

Anonymous US officials later confirmed that US forces had carried out the strike.