PESHAWAR: A US drone targeted a compound in an Afghan district near the Pakistan border, killing at least five Taliban terrorists.

A government official said the drone hit a compound in Cot village of Naziyan district, on the zero line with Pakistan’s Khyber tribal region, on Thursday morning.

“We have no further details,” he said.

The strike comes two days after Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif visited Kabul to deliver to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the Isaf commander a dossier containing audio transcript of the Taliban handler and attackers of the Peshawar school, which left over 132 schoolchildren, school principal, 11 teachers and some other staff members dead.

Intelligence officials believe that the handler, identified as Umar Khalifa, was in direct communication with the squad of seven Taliban terrorists, from his hideout in Naziyan district.

Some officials believe that Pakistan also shared with the Afghan president and the Isaf commander the name of the place in Afghanistan from where the call was made.

It was not immediately known as to who was the target of Friday’s drone attack and whether or not the strike was carried out on Pakistan’s request. Nangarahar has seen drone attacks in recent weeks. An earlier drone strike, it was believed, was carried out to target TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah, who is also believed to be hiding in Naziyan district. Later reports said that Fazlullah was not in the area.

Published in Dawn December 20th , 2014