PESHAWAR: Seven suspected militants, two Uzbeks among them, were killed in a drone strike in Shawal Valley on Thursday, a security official said.

He said the drone fired two missiles into a compound in Wocha Derga on the boundary between North and South Waziristan tribal agencies.

“Five of those killed were affiliated with a group led by Khan Said alias Sajna,” the official said, requesting he not be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Khan Said — a key commander from the predominant Mehsud tribe from South Waziristan — was previously associated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, but after a power struggle within the TTP he formed his own group.

The official said Khan Said was not present at the targeted site. Four Uzbeks were reported to have been injured in the attack, he said.

There was no official corroboration or independent confirmation of the incident with some conflicting reports about the place of occurrence.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2015

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