U.S. drones prowl over Pakistan's South Waziristan

By Hafiz Wazir

WANA, Pakistan (Reuters) - U.S. drones prowled the sky over Pakistan's South Waziristan on Wednesday, a day after one of the aircraft attacked a stronghold of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, killing about 70 militants.

The U.S. attack came as the Pakistani army is preparing an all-out assault on al Qaeda ally Mehsud, who has been accused of orchestrating a campaign of bombings in Pakistan, including the 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

The push into South Waziristan on the Afghan border looms as the army is finishing off an offensive in the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad, launched after Taliban gains raised fears for nuclear-armed Pakistan's future.

Pakistan is a vital ally for the United States as it strives to defeat al Qaeda and stabilize Afghanistan, where thousands of extra U.S. soldiers are arriving.

U.S. President Barack Obama's national security adviser, Jim Jones, arrived in Pakistan on a trip that includes stops in Afghanistan and India aimed at following up on the implementation of a new U.S. strategy for the region.

He will meet civilian and military leaders, a spokesman said.

The pilotless U.S. drone strike late on Tuesday, on a funeral for one of six militants killed in a similar strike earlier in the day, suggests closer coordination between the United States and Pakistan.

But Pakistan, which officially objects to such strikes, is unlikely to confirm that in a country where many people are suspicious of the alliance with the United States in its global campaign against militancy.

Intelligence officials said late on Tuesday 45 people had been killed in the drone attack as mourners were leaving the funeral. On Wednesday, they said about 70 people had been killed. A Taliban official said Mehsud had been in the area but was not hurt. Security officials and villagers said the Taliban had sealed off the site.

"Bodies are still lying there and the Taliban are not allowing anybody close while their men are coming and going in vehicles," resident Ghulam Rasool told Reuters by telephone.

Taliban spokesman Wali-ur-Rehman said 65 people had been killed and many would be buried in mass graves.

"Most of the bodies are charred beyond recognition so it's been decided they'll be buried in three graves," he said.

On Wednesday, the militants fired at U.S. drones flying over the remote, mountainous region and at least two turned back, said another resident.

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The military has been launching air strikes on Mehsud's bases for more than a week while soldiers have been securing main roads into the region, sealing off his stronghold.