US drones pound Haqqani hideouts in Pak, 12 dead

In a major onslaught against the Haqqani group of Taliban fighters, American drones fired a salvo of missiles at their hideouts in Pakistan's tribal region in the north-west, killing 12 militants.

Stepping up a campaign against the group, 10 to 12 drones carried out a wave of pre-dawn attacks on Dargah Mandi and Danday Darpa Khel near Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan Agency, officials and witnesses were quoted as saying by TV news channels.

The new strike killed 12 militants holed up in a house in Dargah Mandi close to Miranshah. With this attack, more than 70 militants have been killed in a relentless campaign by drones since September 2.

The US drones killed 15 militants in the same village just 24 hours ago and American media reports quoting US intelligence officials said the drone attacks were taking place in coordination with US special operations being carried out on the group across the border in Afghanistan.

"Most of those killed have been Pakistani Taliban fighters attached to the Haqqani network," US officials said.

The unmanned spy planes fired atleast a dozen missiles at two militant compounds.

Local residents launched rescue efforts and pulled 12 bodies out of the rubble of houses that were destroyed by the missiles.

Five others were injured in the attacks. Local residents and officials said the death toll could rise.

US media reports said most of this month's strikes have targeted the forces of Jalauddin Haqqani, a former anti-Soviet commander now aligned with Taliban and Al Qaeda, and his son Sirajuddin.

The reports said that American special forces were carrying out large-scale raids on the Haqqani group in Khost, Paktia, Pakiktita and Gardez provinces bordering Pakistan's Waziristan province.

US and NATO commanders believed that some of the top-commanders of the Haqqani group are fleeing the battlefield and trying to move to safe hideouts in Pakistan tribal area.

"So, we are mounting pressure on them in Waziristan also to create a hammer-and-anvil effect," US media reports said.