Drone strikes continue against suspected militants in Pakistan
Air Force
The U.S. is under increasing pressure to stop such operations.
An American drone strike killed three suspected militants in Pakistan on Sunday, the New York Times reports. The attack comes two weeks after Pakistan’s parliament demanded that the U.S. cease drone missions.
The airstrike signaled that the Obama administration, threatened by insurgents in Pakistan, is unlikely to pull back on drone operations in the region. The school building that was targeted on Sunday was believed to be a base for Punjabi Taliban fighters with the Haqqani network.
The incident is likely to increase diplomatic friction between Pakistan and the U.S., as officials attempt to renew soured ties after American warplanes killed 24 soldiers in strikes against two military posts last year.
Even as the U.S. is slated to reduce defense spending, worldwide annual spending on unmanned aerial vehicles is projected to double from $6.6 billion to $11.4 billion in the next decade, market research firm, Teal Group projects.