Haqqani, Al-Qaeda commanders killed in strike

ISLAMABAD (PAN): Two top insurgent commanders were among 17 militants killed in a suspected US drone strike in Pakistan‘s northwestern tribal region of Waziristan earlier in the week, officials said on Sunday.

Local tribal administration and intelligence sources said those killed in the strike in the Serai Darpakhel area near Miranshah Bazaar included commanders of the Haqqani network and Al Qaeda.

“I can tell you Mullah and senior Al-Qaeda operative Abu Saif Al-Jazeri were among the fatalities,” one intelligence source confided to Pajhwok Afghan News.

A political administration official, who verified the intelligence claim, said two Punjabi militant commanders Rana Ashraf and Naveed Butt were also killed in the air raid. The remaining 13 victims were described as foot soldiers.

The remotely-piloted American aircraft fired a couple of missiles at a compound in the restive area near the Afghanistan border late on Tuesday night, sparking a strong protest from Islamabad.

It was the deadliest strike since the government of Nawaz Sharif came to power in the wake of the May 11 elections. Most of the victims belonged to the Haqqani network.

Late on Saturday, local security officials said a dozen mortar shells fired from Afghan territory landed in a border village of South Waziristan Agency. Five tribesmen were wounded in the cross-border shelling..

Six mortar shells landed in the Angor Adda Bazaar and as many in surrounding areas, setting a pile of fuel wood and coal on fire. The injured were evacuated to the main hospital in Wana.

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