By Neville Lazarus, Asia Producer
A US drone has killed at least 18 people in northwest Pakistan after a compound and vehicle near a bazaar were targeted.
Reports suggest the strike in Miranshah, in North Waziristan, targeted a senior Haqqani network leader. There is no confirmation whether the leader was killed in the attack.
The Haqqani network is one of the most dangerous organisations based in the tribal regions of Pakistan.
They have been responsible for most of the attacks in Kabul and on Western forces in Afghanistan. The network pledges its allegiance to the Afghan Taliban chief Mullaha Omar and is alleged to be protected by Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI.
The strike is one of the worst since the new government, led by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's party the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, took over after the general elections in May.
Mr Khan has been a long time vocal critic of America's policy of drone strikes in the region.
He has raised the issue at every forum calling them illegal and a contributing factor to the recruitment of more terrorists.
Drone strikes are hugely unpopular in Pakistan and were a major election issue. Mr Khan has accused the federal government of towing the American line and permitting these strikes.
Imran Khan addressing supporters in May The United States uses unmanned drones to hunt al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
The US considers these attacks an extremely useful tool in war against terror.
US President Barack Obama has come under intense criticism for authorising the strikes, which have killed a number of civilians, including women and children.
According to the Bureau of Investigative journalism, an independent think tank based in the UK, there have been 370 drone attacks in Pakistan since 2004.
Of this number, 319 attacks have been under President Obama's presidency. During George W Bush's tenure from 2004 till 2009 there were only 52 such strikes.
Mr Obama has made it clear that the US will continue its policy.
Speaking at the National Defence University in Washington DC earlier this year, he made an impassioned defence of the US targeted killing programme, insisting that it was both effective and legal.
But he admitted that this may not be enough. He conceded that civilians have died and for himself and "those in my chain of command, these deaths will haunt us as long as we live".
Under his administration new rules have been put in place for such lethal strikes. But questions of its legality will arise every time collateral damage takes place.
Mr Khan's party, which is the second largest opposition party, has tabled a resolution in the national parliament stating that the strikes violate Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity and also violate international laws and treaties.
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