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Six militants were killed on Tuesday when a US drone struck a suspected Taliban training centre in South Waziristan tribal region, where the Pakistan military is preparing to launch an offensive against Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud.
Officials were quoted by TV news channels as saying that the drone fired one missile at the militant training centre located near Makeen in South Waziristan Agency, a stronghold of the militant commander Mehsud.
Local residents helped remove bodies from the debris. Fighter jets were seen flying over the area after the drone attack.
Pakistan has described the US drone attacks in its tribal belt as a violation of its sovereignty and counter-productive for the war against terror. Analysts believe the US and Pakistan have reached a tacit understanding on the strikes by the pilot-less planes operated by the CIA.
The Pakistan Army had on Monday said it had completed positioning its troops for launching an offensive against Mehsud and his network in South Waziristan. Jets have carried out retaliatory air strikes in Waziristan after the Taliban attacked several military bases in the region.