Pakistan blames U.S. drone strikes for local peoples' distrust

Pakistan on Monday condemned a recent U.S. drone strike in the country's North Waziristan tribal region which killed at least six people.

Security officials said the U.S. unmanned aircraft fired missiles on a compound in the mountainous Shawal area on Saturday. Sources said some foreigners were among those killed in the strike that occurred after weeks of a lull in the U.S. attacks.

"We condemn such strikes which are a clear violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The strikes generated distrust among the local populace at a time when the Pakistani forces' offensive against the militants in the region was moving ahead decisively, it said.

The Pakistani forces had launched the major offensives against the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups in June last year that had displaced nearly one million people.

"We reiterate our call for a cessation of such strikes," the ministry said.

It said the United States carried out strikes when focus of the government was shifting toward rehabilitation of the civilian population in North Waziristan.

Senior U.S. officials said the CIA-controlled drones were targeting the militants who use Waziristan as a launching pad for their cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.

Pakistan has earlier denied that the recent series of drone strikes had any link with the ongoing military operation. Endi