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Drone strike kills eight militants on Khyber Agency border
PESHAWAR: At least eight suspected militants were killed in a US drone strike in the Nazyan district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, on the zero line bordering Khyber Agency.
Intelligence sources said the drone targeted a militant compound in Cort Village of Nazyan, completely destroying the compound. Aside from the eight dead, scores of others were reportedly injured on the zero line, which has been serving as a safe haven for the Mullah Fazllullah led Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to security officials, militants based in the Nazyan district had planned the devastating attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, which left over 140 children and teachers dead and scores injured.
More on this: Militant siege of Peshawar school ends, 141 killed
Soon after the attack in Peshawar, army chief General Raheel Sharif in an unscheduled visit to Kabul had been given assurances by the Afghan government as well as the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (Isaf) for action against a Kunar-based Taliban splinter group which is believed to have been behind the attack.
Read more: Peshawar attack: Afghanistan, Isaf promise action against Taliban group
The strikes against militants have increased on both sides of the border since the attack.
Pakistani security forces have also been carrying out ground offensives in Khyber Agency, particularly the Tirah Valley of Bara which borders Nazyan.
A military operation titled 'Khyber One' which was launched in October by security forces and aimed at targeting militants in Khyber Agency’s Bara area is also underway in the northwestern tribal region.
Read further: Nine killed as military operation launched in Khyber
Eighteen militants were killed in the ground offensive last night in Khyber Agency, while early Friday morning, an operation killed at least 50 terrorists in the Wurmagai and Spurkot areas of Tirah valley while they were moving towards Afghanistan. The militants fled leaving behind the dead bodies of their companions – photos of which have been circulating on social media.
Three security personnel were also injured in the gun battle.
Comments (19) Closed
Looks like their attack has backfired spectacularly.
Bravo!!!! Keep it up
thanks america
Love USA
Jihad has become a bad word. There should be zero tolerance to terrorists in the name of Islam.
have always backed drone attacks as the most effective to rid our country of these bestial men. Now much more so. Thank you USA, and please not to stop till all the border area in both Afghanistan and Pakistan is cleared of such totally mad men. Next step is to help us clear madrassahs of equally rotten minds...
These statistics need to be independently verified Why media is not allowed access, all we hear is numbers and we never find out who these people are what their nationalities are. Army and security agencies have been fooling people for a very long time. We need truth, dawn please report with evidence not just numbers
keep close eye on madrassas run by political mullas
In my view the planners of the attack would have left their bases soon after the peshawar attack as they must know that mobile signals can be traced.
But I hope that the US cooperates with Pakistan more to eliminate TTP.
Suddenly comments section has changed!!! Earlier it was all against USA for the drone attacks...now its 'thank you USA'!!! I as an Indian find this change very welcome!!!
Get rid of ALL Talibans. Get all the students in Madrassas to regular schools. Every idiot who infringes on personal freedom of people in the name of religion need to be jailed.
Pakistanis understand their religion well and don't need Arabic to teach them principles of Islam.
Bravo!
Did it require the murder of young innocents for the army to do their job??
For the first time, i dont feel angry at a drone attack.
I hope PTI Imran Khan would not mind drones strikes this time around. Nationalism & bravado aside these drones are quite effective stuff. Most of all they do not cost us. Thanks USA, we have been too much ungrateful for all the freebies for too long.
@Aly khan You should go there and report it yourself. Who stops you from going to at least nearby towns. You ll hear it from the people.
Thank you, USA.
@Faruq, How it backfired? It happened on Friday three days after the school attack.
Its time Pakistan provide more intelligence to USA to hit these terrorists on both side of the border. Also, the formality of a protest against drone attck should done with. We should declare that we will use US help to eliminate these criminals.
I live and work in the US. My taxes helped pay for that drone and the missile. And I support it 100%. I wish more of my tax money was used to kill Taliban and their supporters.
Pak fauj zindabad,we are with you. Eliminate taliban