Zeeshan Haider
Reuters
Sept. 24, 2008
ISLAMABAD – A suspected U.S. pilotless drone has crashed in the northwestern Pakistani region of South Waziristan after a spate of missile attacks by unmanned U.S. aircraft in Pakistan strained ties between the allies.
Pakistan has said U.S. missile attacks and one U.S. ground assault are a violation of its sovereignty and the army has vowed to defend Pakistani territory.
President Asif Ali Zardari met U.S. President George W. Bush in New York on Tuesday and spoke strongly about protecting Pakistani sovereignty, Bush said.
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Pakistani news channels said early on Wednesday a U.S.-operated drone had come down near the border village of Angor Adda, where U.S. commandos launched a raid on September 3.
The Pakistani military confirmed that a pilotless aircraft had come down but did not identify it as American. Other countries with forces in Afghanistan have not been known to operate drones over Pakistani territory.
“A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle while flying over Pak-Afghan border yesterday night crash landed, on this side of the border … apparently due to malfunctioning,” the army said in a statement.
“The wreckage … has been recovered.”
American officials earlier denied that the United States had lost any drones: “No such thing occurred,” said one.
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