Four killed in US drone attack in Kurram Agency along Afg border

PESHAWAR: At least four people were killed in a suspected US drone attack in Kurram Agency along the Pak-Afghan border Friday afternoon. 

According to Political Administration of Kurram Agency, the drone targeted a house in Khormanak village of the Agency.

Baseer Khan Wazir, the most senior administrator in the Kurram Agency, said the drone strike took place close to the border with Afghanistan. "Two missiles were dropped on the home of Maulvi Mohib and four people have been killed," Wazir said.

The government sources said the drone fired two missiles on a house pulling it to rubble. The deadly missile attack resulted in seriously injuring three others. 

According to reports, Maulana Asmatullah Zaeef was a commander of Afghan Taliban. Son-in-law of Taliban-era ambassador Abdul Salam is also reportedly among the dead.

The area of the strike, Ghoz Garhi area, lies within Pakistan territory, in upper Kurram Agency just close to Afghanistan province Paktia.

The government sources said the house that came under attack was owned by Maulana Muhib. 

According to reports Mohib belonged to Haqqani network, however, some reports contradicted the statement, saying that he was associated with Afghan Taliban group.

The aircraft kept on hovering over the area for some time before launching the strike, 

causing panic among the local people which constitute a large number of women and kids.

The strike came days after the U.S. President Donald Trump asked Pakistan to do more against the militants hiding in its tribal area.

This is the third drone strike in the country since the beginning of this year.

Drone strikes are highly unpopular among the Pakistani public as they kill militants and common people including women and kids without discrimination.

Islamabad also condemns such attacks, calling them violations of their sovereignty. - NNI