18 killed in US drone attacks in Pakistan

The suspected militant hideouts were hit minutes apart. They were located several kilometers from each other in the North Waziristan tribal area, said intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
The US has carried out seven drone strikes in the past week in North Waziristan, ignoring Pakistani protests that they violate the country's sovereignty.
The attacks have exacerbated the already troubled relationship between the two countries, but the US has refused to stop the strikes.
On Thursday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned a US diplomat to protest the wave of drone strikes.
"A senior US diplomat was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and informed that the drone strikes were unlawful, against international law and a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. It was emphatically stated that such attacks were unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The diplomat was not identified.
The Pakistani government is widely believed to have supported the strikes in the past. That cooperation has come under strain as the relationship between the two countries has deteriorated, but US officials say privately that there are still senior members of Pakistan's government and military who condone the attacks. The US rarely discusses the covert CIA-run drone program in Pakistan publicly.

Full version