ISLAMABAD - A US drone crashed on Saturday night in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan which borders Afghanistan, reported local Urdu TV channel DAWN.

The report said that the US drone fell down in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, a place believed to be a haven of militants of various groups along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, who often launch the cross-border attacks on the US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan.

The crash was due to some unknown technical problem with the unmanned aircraft, said the report, adding that the wreckage of the crashed drone was in the custody of the local residents.

It is not known whether the drone crashed is for combat purpose or for spy use. Last year a small US drone for non-combat purpose crashed near Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan Province in southwest Pakistan.

The US drones often fire missiles at the militants' hideouts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area. North Waziristan is the most-hit area by the US drones in Pakistan over the last couple of years.

While many victims in such strikes are believed to be suspected militants, the US drones do often kill innocent people living in the area.

On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of tribesmen from North Waziristan launched a two-day sit-in in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, protesting against the US drone strikes in the country. Protesters believed that such strikes have seriously violated Pakistan's space territorial rights.

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