A US drone on Thursday targeted a religious seminary in the Bulandkhel area of Orakzai Agency near the border with Afghanistan, killing at least 18 suspected Afghan militants, while injuring over a dozen others, including four children. It was the second US missile strike reported in as many days in the northwest tribal belt. The attack was the deadliest since similar strike in August last year killed 21 Taliban fighters in the region. According to security officials in Miranshah, headquarter of the North Waziristan Agency (NWA), the target of the strike was located near the boundaries connecting Orakzai with Afghanistan and NWA. They said the four missiles fired by the drone hit a compound and killed 16 occupants and injured over one dozen others, including four children. According to tribesmen, the compound was owned by Maulvi Shakirullah, a commander in the forces of warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur. They said the compound was being used as a seminary to provide religious education to local children, including young militants. Maulvi Shakirullah is included amongst the killed persons. Bahadur is an ally of the Haqqani network blamed by the Americans for a string of high-profile attacks in Afghanistan.The exact identity of other persons killed in the attack could not be ascertained so far.
At least 18 perish in deadly drone strike in Orakzai
