PARACHINAR: Two suspected Afghan Taliban fighters were killed in a drone strike near the Pak-Afghan border on Thursday.

According to officials, a US drone targeted a motorcycle in the Ahmadi Shama area of Lower Kurram at about 1.30pm, killing the two militants. They were identified as Afghan Taliban commander Qari Abdullah and Shakir. Abdullah belonged to the Subari area in Afghanistan’s Khost province.

The drone strike occurred in the area where the funeral of TTP Kurram chapter head Fazal Saeed Haqqani was held in December last year. He was killed by his own bodyguard.

This is the first drone strike inside Pakistan’s tribal region this year. The previous such attack had killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in Noshki district of Balochistan on May 21 last year.

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria told Dawn in Islamabad that the government was ascertaining the situation on the ground.

The very first of the more than 420 attacks occurred in 2004 under the government of President George W. Bush, but it was under President Barack Obama that their use increased substantially, before tapering off in his second term, according to AFP. Last year there were only three.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

‘Source of terror’
Updated 29 Mar, 2024

‘Source of terror’

It is clear that going after militant groups inside Afghanistan unilaterally presents its own set of difficulties.
Chipping in
29 Mar, 2024

Chipping in

FEDERAL infrastructure development schemes are located in the provinces. Most such projects — for instance,...
Toxic emitters
29 Mar, 2024

Toxic emitters

IT is concerning to note that dozens of industries have been violating environmental laws in and around Islamabad....
Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...