MIRAMSHAH The death toll in Saturday's drone strike on a militant compound in the Saidgai area of North Waziristan rose to 13 on Sunday after eight more bodies were retrieved from the debris of the house, sources said. Initial reports said that five people had died in the attack. Three people were injured. Asmatullah, the owner of the house, survived the attack.
A Taliban commander, identified as Abdur Rehman Wazir, was among the dead, the sources said. Residents said the eight bodies were shifted to the Shewa village for burial.
AFP adds “The Taliban have recovered more bodies from the debris. We have reports that a total of 13 militants were killed and three injured,” an intelligence official in Miramshah said.
The compound was used by local militants attached to the Haqqani network, which has attacked US troops in Afghanistan, said a senior security official.
Other security officials also confirmed that 13 were killed in the strike, including a local commander, but it was unclear if any foreigners were among the dead.
The US military does not confirm drone attacks, which US officials say have killed a number of top-level militants.