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Journalism of Courage
A pair of US missile strikes hit a vehicle and an alleged insurgent training facility on Wednesday in a tribal region near the Afghan border,killing 23 suspected Islamist militants,Pakistani intelligence officials said.
The two missile strikes bring this weeks count to five. They are the latest sign that the US has no intention of abandoning the tactic despite public disapproval in Pakistan and a downturn in relations between Islamabad and Washington following the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The strikes occurred within minutes of each other,four Pakistani intelligence officials said. One missile hit a vehicle carrying five men. The other struck a nearby compound,killing 18 people in Shawal area,along the border that separates the South and North Waziristan tribal regions. The compound is believed to have housed a training camp for extremists,the officials said.
Both regions are home to militant groups,including several involved in attacks on Western forces in Afghanistan.
The area hit Wednesday was on the North Waziristan side,in territory under the control of Hafiz Gul Bahadur,a warlord involved in the Afghan fight.
North Waziristan is the usual target for US missiles because it is home to more groups fighting in Afghanistan and because Pakistani military has resisted US appeals to launch an offensive there.
