The death toll from a recent US assassination drone strike targeting an area in Pakistans northwest has reached 17.At least six others were also wounded in the Wednesday attack against a shopping center in Miran Shah in Pakistans North Waziristan.
Reports say the US drones fired four missiles, targeting a house and a vehicle in the area.
The US strike is the second of its type since Nawaz Sharif was elected the countrys new prime minister in June. The newly-elected members of Pakistan's parliament have openly slammed the US for its continued violation of their country's sovereignty by carrying out the drone strikes.
On June 7, US drones fired two missiles at a compound in a village in the Shawal district of North Waziristan, killing seven people.
The US claims that its drone strikes target militants in the country but reports indicate that many of the victims are civilians.
In September 2012, a report by the Stanford Law School and the New York University School of Law gave an alarming account of the effect the assassination drone strikes have on civilians in Pakistans tribal areas.
The number of high-level targets killed as a percentage of total casualties is extremely low -- estimated at just 2 percent, compared to the number of civilians killed, the report noted.
By Press TV
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