Muhammad Khel (N. Waziristan) Drone Attack VIII – Jan 2012
Date: 23/01/2012
Location: North Waziristan Agency, FATA, Pakistan
Perpetrators: United States
Victims: 2 Killed
What Happened?
23 January 2012: A U.S. drone strike destroyed a house in the Muhammad Khel area of Datta Khel Tehsil. This attack reportedly occurred at around 1030 hours, some fifteen minutes after another strike in nearby Degan.
A local news agency, The News, cited testimony of local tribesmen reporting that this drone strike killed two people. CNN, in contrast, cited local security officials in a claim that this attack had no casualties.
Data published by FATA officials years later corroborates that this attack had no casualties, and that it occurred in the nearby Char Khel area instead. However, there has never been an independent investigation to confirm this, and this claim is disputed by local testimony, leaving this attack undocumented.
Given the local testimony and lack of military intelligence confirmation, there is a high likelihood that civilians may have been killed in this attack.
Sources: CNN, The News, Associated Press
OMM-PK305