A hardcore Afghan militant was killed and his accomplice seriously injured when their compound in Speen Tal area of southern Hangu district was targeted by a US drone in early hours of Tuesday.
The eyewitnesses informed that around Sehri time, Afghan militant, identified as Abu Bakar, was hit by two missiles fired with help of drone. As a result, a large portion of the compound—situated just on the boundary between Hangu District and Aurakzai Agency—got demolished.
Due to the hovering of US drone in the air for some time, rescue activities couldn’t start straight away. However, later, the local people found a dead body and recovered one injured. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, whereas the killed militant was identified as Abu Bakar. A resident of Dewal village said three more people were injured in the strike, including a boy.
Abu Bakar was associated with the Haqqani Network and he belonged to Khost province of Afghanistan, bordering with North Waziristan and Kurram Agency of the tribal belt. Haqqani Network is known for having a strong presence in Khost province on the basis of its founder Maulvi Jalal-ud-Din Haqqani’s origin from this part of Afghanistan.
In a period of around four years, it is the second US drone attack in the jurisdiction of Hangu district. On November 21, 2013, Madrasa Miftah Ul Uloom in village Tandoor in Tal area was targeted by a US drone. At least eight militants associated with Haqqani Network were killed in the first ever US drone attack. All the slain militants were staying as a guest in the targeted Madrasa.
It is important to mention here that Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had formally charged the US government in an FIR for the first ever drone attack.
Pakistan considers US drone attack contrary to its sovereignty and autonomy, whereas the US authorities consider drone technology most effective in the ongoing war on terror.
The drone strike comes after a May 31 truck bombing in Kabul that killed more than 150 people in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban following the US-led invasion in 2001.
Afghan officials blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network for the blast.
However, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Afghan Taliban’s second-in-command and head of the Haqqani network, denied any involvement in an audio message distributed to the media late on June 11.
