US defence officials have said that the United States may provide Pakistan with a dozen unarmed drone aircrafts after the unarmed aircrafts proved to be very helpful tactically in fighting the Taliban.

The call for the unarmed drones came after strikes by American armed drones in Pakistan to fight terrorist groups led to huge anti-American feelings in the country.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates told a Pakistani television channel that the plan was being considered.

The Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari said that the public would be much less critical if the state-of-the-art aircrafts were used by Pakistani troops rather then US.

The out cry of the public came after hundreds of civilians died by the armed drones in tribal areas of Pakistan where al-Qaeda and the Taliban operate.

Hundreds of people – many of them militants, but many more civilians – have died in attacks by armed drones in tribal areas of Pakistan where al-Qaeda and Taliban militants are believed to operate.

“There are some tactical UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) that we are considering, yes,” Mr Gates said in an interview with a Pakistani television channel.

The Shadow drones are smaller than the armed Predator and Reaper aircrafts.