The UN human rights chief has called for an immediate end to US military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that are allegedly carrying illegal drugs from South America.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk deemed the strikes "unacceptable" and called for an investigation into them, in what appeared to mark the first such condemnation of its kind from a United Nations organisation.

Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for Türk's office, relayed his message at a UN briefing on Friday: "These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable. The US must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats."

She said Mr Türk believed "airstrikes by the United States of America on

See Full Page