WANA, May 10: Political authorities here on Wednesday paid Rs7.5 million as compensation to 15 families which had lost relatives in military operations in the South Waziristan Agency.

A function was held at the agency’s headquarters which was attended by Kohat General Officer Commanding Maj-Gen Gul Mohammad, South Waziristan political agent Munir Azam and tribal elders.

Relatives of three people and a wanted militant Nek Mohammad killed in a missile attack were also paid compensation, though the name of Nek Mohammad was not announced in the function.

Nek Mohammad, leading local and foreign militants in the agency, was killed in a midnight missile attack on a house near Wana on June 18, 2004.

The victim families were paid Rs500,000 each, though the previous Corps Commander of Peshawar, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, now posted at the General Headquarters, Rawalpindi, had announced a compensation of Rs200,000 to a family.