Thread: Germans killed by U.S. drone attack

4 October 2010 Last updated at 14:33 ET

'German militants' killed in Pakistan drone attack

US drone attacks have increased during the past month At least eight al-Qaeda militants - some of whom were German nationals - have been killed in a drone attack in Pakistan, officials have told the BBC.

The suspected US drone fired two missiles at a house owned by a local tribesman in the Pakistani region of North Waziristan, the officials said.

At least three of the dead were said to be German, of Arab or Turkish origin.

There have been 26 such strikes in the area in the past month, killing several high-profile militants.

Analysts have linked the increasing frequency of US drone attacks with current reports of an alleged al-Qaeda plot to attack European cities.

Several countries have issued travel warnings to their citizens, and US intelligence sources have linked the plot to militants in Pakistan.

Local chief

The house hit in the latest attack was located in a village 3km (1.9 miles) from the main town of Mir Ali.

Local officials say the militants had come to visit tribal leader Sher Mullah, who has close links to Hafiz Gul Bahadur, the local Taliban chief.

The house was completely destroyed in the attack. In addition to those killed, several people were injured.

Local tribesmen described the dead men as Arabs, but said they did not know their identities.

The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan, in Karachi, says local people use the word Arab to describe anyone from the Middle East or even as far west as Turkey.

More than 150 people have died in drone attacks so far this year, including both militants and civilians.

Al-Qaeda's operations chief is believed to have been one of those killed in recent drone strikes.

Our correspondent says that the attacks have infuriated public opinion in Pakistan, which last week was further aggravated by border violations by Nato helicopters from Afghanistan.

Pakistan's government has subsequently clamped down on the supply of goods and fuel from Pakistan to Nato troops based in Afghanistan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11471185

US drone attack kills Germans possibly linked to planned Europe terror attacks

October 4th, 2010 3:55 pm CT.

An American drone aircraft like the one that killed eight suspected terrorists Monday in Pakistan.

Photo: Getty Images

An attack by an unmanned American drone aircraft Monday killed eight suspected terrorists in northwestern Pakistan, including German nationals who may have been involved in plans to conduct terrorist attacks on tourists in Europe.

The BBC, citing unnamed officials, said the drone fired two missiles at a house in North Waziristan, killing eight terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda. CNN, citing Pakistani officials, reported that the dead were members of Jihad al Islami, a terrorist organization with links to Osama bin Laden.

At least three of the terrorists killed in the drone attack were German citizens of Arab or Turkish ancestry. There is a large Turkish immigrant community in Germany.

A Pakistani intelligence official last week said eight Germans and two Britons were planning terrorist attacks in major European cities on behalf of al-Qaeda. The terrorists were said to be hiding in North Waziristan.

The United States has targeted North Waziristan with drone attacks heavily in recent weeks.

Sunday, the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for Europe, cautioning travelers of the possibility of terrorist attacks in crowded places. Japan and Sweden followed suit on Monday. Japan’s Foreign Ministry encouraged Japanese tourists to exercise caution when using public transportation or visiting popular tourist sites.

The United Kingdom, France, and Germany have been most frequently mentioned as possible targets for a terrorist attack, but the State Department advisory was not limited to specific European nations and countries throughout the continent are taking the situation seriously. Sweden raised its terror alert level Friday from “lowâ€