Somalia becomes the sixth country where the US has deployed drones in its pilotless war campaign against terrorists. The US UAVs Predator and Reaper drones already operate in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

With increasing drone strikes killing both terrorists and civilians, there is a campaign against the arbitrary use of drones. The closure of Shamsi airbase in Pakistan is unlikely to end the strikes. The CIA has moved its drones to bases across the border in Afghanistan, and some strikes have already taken place from there, according to a senior Pakistani military official.

This fortnight, three suspected US missile strikes in northwestern Pakistan have killed at least 38 alleged militants, as pressure mounts on the US to stop these drone attacks.