UN Rapporteur Philip Alston says US air strikes in Pakistan and Afghanistan involving drones may constitute a violation of international law.

Mr Alston, the rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary executions says the air strikes by unmanned aircraft strongly resemble arbitrary executions because the US don't make clear what its suspicions against the targets are based on.

The drones regularly carry out attacks on suspected insurgents and Taliban and al-Qaeda extremists. Mr Alston says he is also worried about the increase in the number of drone attacks because of the large number of civilian casualties.

Photo: US drone (Wikipedia)