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US drone attack 'war crimes'

The US has been accused of carrying out unlawful attacks on civilians that could amount to war crimes in Pakistan and Yemen, two major studies into the use of unmanned aircraft attacks by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said.

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Drone attacks 'in clear violation of the laws of war'

Researchers from Human Rights Watch have called on the US to assess the impact of drone attacks in Yemen, which they say are in "clear violation of the laws of war."

The calls come as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International released two reports investigating who died as a result of the attacks in Yemen and Pakistan.

Read: US accused of war crimes in major drone study

The US says it is taking all possible precautions during targeted killings, but it has unlawfully killed civilians and struck questionable military targets in Yemen.

Yemenis told us that these strikes make them fear the US as much as they fear al-Qaeda.

The US should investigate attacks that kill civilians and hold those responsible for violations to account. It's long past time for the US to assess the legality of its targeted killings, as well as the broader impact of these strikes on civilians.

– Letta Tayler, researcher Human Rights Watch

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