Drone Strike Kills Two Suspected Militants in Northwest Pakistan

Wana, Pakistan: A US drone strike killed two suspected militants in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, security officials said, the latest in a rapid escalation of strikes this week.

The strike in Datta Khel in North Waziristan was the fifth drone strike in four days. Strikes resumed in June after a hiatus of six months.
They had halted while the Pakistani government pursued ultimately fruitless peace talks with the Taliban insurgency but resumed four days before the military announced an anti-Taliban offensive in North Waziristan.

Death tolls from drone strikes are often disputed and North Waziristan, a mountainous region along the Afghan border, is currently off limits to journalists. The Taliban also seal the sites of many strikes.

The military says it has killed hundreds of Taliban militants since its offensive began on June 15 but locals say many others escaped.