Three Suspected Haqqani Network Terrorists Killed in US Drone Strike in Pakistan

Three suspected terrorists were killed on Wednesday during a drone attack, believed to have been launched by the United States military, in an area of Orkazai Agency near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.

Daily Pakistan reported quoting local media outlets that the drone launched two missiles hitting a house in Dappa Mamazoi area in which Haqqani Network commander Ehsan alias Khawari and his two companions were killed.

On Jan 17, two extremists were killed in a drone strike in an area of Afghanistan, bordering with Pakistan. The drone attack took place in Shanqilay area of Afghanistan.

This was the second strike in a day near the border. The first strike was reportedly carried out in Lower Kurram Agency’ area Badsha Kot in which a missile hit a house, leaving one person injured.

The US has stepped up attacks on the Haqqani Network in recent weeks and months with armed drones.

Public opinon in Pakistan is sharply against US drone attacks and the Pakistani military had threatened to shoot down US drones if it launched attack against Pakistani citizens and property.

News agency reports however siad that there are contradictory reports about the identities of the killed militants as some local reports quoted unnamed political administration officials as saying that the missiles targeted the house belonging to Afghan refugees, while others said that the targeted house belonged to a commander of Haqqani network who also got killed in the strike.

The residents were quoted as saying that the spy aircraft kept on hovering very low at the airspace of Orazkai and its neighboring areas including tribal region of Kurram and Hangu district of the adjoining Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province before launching the strike.

The early morning drone sortie caused panic among the residents, including a large number of women and kids.