United States carried out the heaviest bombing so far of Pakistan's lawless tribal belt as a swarm of drones fired a volley of 19 hellfire missiles at the den of the fighters of Haqqani network, killing 31 militants, including two Taliban commanders and several foreign fighters.
Upto nine unmanned spy planes targeted multiple militant hideouts in the late night strikes in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency.
The drones fired 19 missiles at houses, cars and bunkers in a region dominated by fighters of the most aggressive Afghan Taliban faction led by Jalauddin Haqqani and his son Sirajuddin.
The US military and intelligence believes the Haqqani group is the most dangerous of the Taliban faction and closest to the Al Qaeda responsible for suicide attacks in central Kabul, including on the Indian embassy in July 2008.
TV news channels quoted officials and local residents as saying that a total of 31 militants, including local Taliban, foreign fighters and two commanders, were killed.
Several others were injured and some were in a serious condition. The drones flew over the area for several hours after the attack, local residents said.
The attacks marked intensification of the Central Intelligence Agency-led campaign in Pakistan, as it came as Pakistan Taliban backtracked on their plans to provide proof that their leader Hakimullah Mehusd had survived an earlier strike.
The reversal added to speculation that Mehsud may be dead and that the Taliban was delaying the announcement to gain time to announce a successor as they had done after the death of Baitullah.
On Monday, a top Tehreek-e-Taliban commander had promised mediapersons to provide proof, either a video or an audio, that Hakimullah was alive. But their spokesman Azam Tariq today said that there was no need to provide any proof.
Witnesses said the fleet of US drones attacked persons who tried to help retrieve bodies and the injured from the rubble of collapsed houses.
The explosions were heard in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan located over 40 km from the Dattakhel area.
Officials said Deegan village in Dattakhel sub-division, where the Taliban claimed to have shot down a US drone last month, was hit hardest.
The drones fired eight missiles, hitting several houses and vehicles in the village that is considered a stronghold of the Taliban.
The drones also fired missiles at houses in Thooth Narray village and militant hideouts in Mohammad Khel and Khar Kamar villages.
Local tribesmen said drones had been flying over the Dattakhel area since early morning on Tuesday.
Some militants had fired at the spy planes with anti-aircraft guns mounted on pick-up trucks.
The CIA has launched more than 70 missile attacks into the tribal region over the last 18 months, killing more than 700 people.
The US has stepped up drone attacks in North Waziristan since a suicide bomber linked to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan killed seven CIA operatives at a forward base in Khost province of neighbouring Afghanistan on December 30.
