US drone kills five in Kurram

PESHAWAR: A US drone killed five people in an attack on a compound in northwestern tribal region yesterday, officials said.

At least four missiles were fired during the strike in the Kurram tribal district close to the Afghan border, according to officials.

One said the target was suspected militant Abu Bakar, commander of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network.

It is the second such strike since US President Donald Trump in August accused Pakistan of offering "safe havens" to extremists.

An attack in the same region in September left three people dead and two wounded.

"Five people have been killed in a drone strike on a suspected militant's house," an intelligence source told AFP.

A local administration official also confirmed the toll.

The use of US drones has dwindled dramatically in recent years in Pakistan, where the strikes have proven extremely controversial with the public and rights groups.-AFP