At least seven Afghan fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network were killed and several injured when a United States drone targeted a vehicle and a militant compound in the Khardand area of Kurram Agency on Monday, officials said.
The drone reportedly targeted the vehicle with a missile first, destroying it completely and killing all onboard. It then fired a second missile at militants who had gathered on the site of the first attack to look for survivors. It later fired a missile each at two militant compounds nearby but it was not clear whether the strike caused any casualties. Local officials said seven militants were killed in the attack and several more were injured, but their identity could not be ascertained. However, they said the slain militants included some foreigners. The Khardand area of Kurram Agency borders Afghanistan’s Khost province. Local tribesmen confirmed that militants had set up compounds in the area, causing most of the local tribesmen to abandon their houses and move to safer areas. Khardand is reportedly a stronghold of Fazal Saeed, a local militant commander linked to the Haqqani network.
