Western militants
October 4, 2010
German militants are believed to be among eight people killed in a US drone strike in northwest Pakistan. The rockets struck a house in the town of Mir Ali near the border with Afghanistan late on Monday.
Unnamed Pakistani officials said those killed were believed to be German citizens in the region for terrorist training. The militants were members of a group called Jihad Islami, the officials said.
One of the Germans, a man who called himself 'Fayyaz' and was active in planning attacks in Europe was among those killed in the strike.
The US rarely confirms the identities of those killed in targeted CIA-missile campaigns. Dozens of radicalized German nationals are thought to be in Pakistan's tribal region for training purposes.
The German Foreign Ministry in Berlin has not confirmed the reports.
Elevated warnings
The strikes came a day after the United States and Britain issued elevated risk warnings to citizens travelling to Germany and France.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere cautioned against "alarmism" about the threat, saying there were "no indications of imminent attacks in Germany."
Author: Sarah Harman (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Nancy Isenson