Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Pak: US drone crashes, Taliban claims responsibility

September 18, 2011 17:16 IST

A United States drone crashed in the restive South Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan on Sunday, with the Taliban claiming that its militants had shot down the unmanned spy plane.

The Central Investigation Agency-operated drone crashed in Makeen area of South Waziristan tribal agency, where Pakistani Taliban militants are active.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan claimed militants had shot down the drone. However, security officials were quoted by Geo News channel as saying that the drone had crashed due to technical problems.

The officials said the spy plane's wreckage had been recovered by security forces.

US drones regularly fly over North and South Waziristan tribal regions, which have witnessed hundreds of missile strikes over the past four years.

The Pakistan army conducted a massive operation against the Taliban in South Waziristan in 2009 but parts of the region continue to be controlled by the militants.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.