(Previous Incident Code: B19 )

An alleged US Predator fired two Hellfire missiles on a house in the Zari Noor village, south Waziristan, killing up to a dozen people, possibly targeting militant Haji Yaqub Wazir, who had played a key role in peace agreements with Pakistan’s military, local and international media reported.

Following the strike, reports said that at least five but as many as 12 were killed, though it was unclear how many were militants and how many civilians.

South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), who put the death toll at 12, said that “most of them alleged foreign fighters”, leaving the possibly of civilian fatalities open.

According to AP, “at least” five of the killed were militants.

Moreover, at least three were left wounded, while their status again was unclear. Though, local residents described seeing an injured Yaqub pulled from the wreckage of his home.

Military Spokesman Major General Athar Abbas, cited by SATP, confirmed the strike, though he would not specify whether it was a missile or rocket attack. Most reports blamed US drones, while other reports described ‘missiles’ as having come from the Afghan side of the border.

However a secret US intelligence report leaked in February 2010 later confirmed that the attack was by a CIA drone:

“A drone killed and injured multiple foreign Al Qaeda members and local associates, including some Haqqani Network associates. An Al Qaeda facilitator (house owner) Haji Yacoub was injured.”