NORTH WAZIRISTAN AGENCY: Two key al Qaeda linked operatives, including an operational commander have been killed in Monday’s US drone strike in North Wazirsitan Agency, official sources said.

The al Qaeda linked militants killed in the drone strike have been identified as Abu Kasha Al-Iraqi and Saleh Al-Turki, an intelligence source told Dawn.Com.

Abu Kasha Al-Iraqi, hailing from Iraq, had arrived in North Waziristan Agency in 2001 and had since been one of the key operational commanders of the al Qaeda in North Waziristan tribal region, intelligence officials said.

Taliban sources also confirmed that Abu Kasha and Saleh al-Turki’s funerals were held in Mosaki area of North Waziristan late Monday night.

Local people had reported that six people were killed and two others inured in the US drone attack in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali tehsil on Monday. Security officials, however, had told AFP the attack had killed five militants.

The drone fired two missiles on a suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban compound in Degyan area of Dattakhel along the Pak-Afghan border. Abu Kasha and Saleh Al-Turkey were said to be among the militants killed.