Three senior militants, including a leading extremist cleric, have reportedly been killed in a suspected U.S. drone strike in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
At least three other people were also killed.
Police say at least three rockets were fired early on November 21 at a religious school in Tal in Hangu district. The school reportedly belongs to the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.
Pakistani intelligence officials said one of those killed was Mullah Ahmad Jan, the Haqqani network's spiritual leader.
Gul Sher, leader of the Afghan Taliban in Paktia Province, and Mullah Hamidullah, leader of the Afghan Taliban in Khost Province, were also reportedly killed.
The strike is believed to be only the second drone attack to occur outside Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal region and the first since a drone strike killed the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, in North Waziristan on November 1.
Two members of the militant Haqqani network were reportedly killed in a suspected U.S. drone strike on an Islamic seminary in Pakistan's northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At least four other people were also killed.
Fareed Khan, a local police officer, said an unmanned aircraft fired at least three rockets before sunrise on the morning of November 21 at the madrasah in the Hangu district. The religious seminary reportedly belongs to the Haqqani network and is located in Tal, a town in the northwestern Hangu district bordering the North Waziristan, Orakzai, and Kurram tribal regions.
The strike is believed to be only the second drone attack to occur outside Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal region and the first since a drone strike killed the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, in North Waziristan on November 1.
On November 20, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's national security adviser, Sartaj Aziz, said Washington had assured Islamabad that it would halt drone strikes during any peace talks with Pakistani militants. No time frame for such talks has been announced.
At least three other people were also killed.
Police say at least three rockets were fired early on November 21 at a religious school in Tal in Hangu district. The school reportedly belongs to the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.
Pakistani intelligence officials said one of those killed was Mullah Ahmad Jan, the Haqqani network's spiritual leader.
Gul Sher, leader of the Afghan Taliban in Paktia Province, and Mullah Hamidullah, leader of the Afghan Taliban in Khost Province, were also reportedly killed.
The strike is believed to be only the second drone attack to occur outside Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal region and the first since a drone strike killed the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, in North Waziristan on November 1.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
Two members of the militant Haqqani network were reportedly killed in a suspected U.S. drone strike on an Islamic seminary in Pakistan's northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At least four other people were also killed.
Fareed Khan, a local police officer, said an unmanned aircraft fired at least three rockets before sunrise on the morning of November 21 at the madrasah in the Hangu district. The religious seminary reportedly belongs to the Haqqani network and is located in Tal, a town in the northwestern Hangu district bordering the North Waziristan, Orakzai, and Kurram tribal regions.
The strike is believed to be only the second drone attack to occur outside Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal region and the first since a drone strike killed the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, in North Waziristan on November 1.
On November 20, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's national security adviser, Sartaj Aziz, said Washington had assured Islamabad that it would halt drone strikes during any peace talks with Pakistani militants. No time frame for such talks has been announced.