ISLAMABAD – Two separate US drone strikes struck a militant compound in anorthwestern tribal region of Pakistan and a vehicle in Afghanistan,killing 11 militants, mostly from the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network,officials said Friday.
Seven militants were killed in the first strike Thursday in the Pakistaniborder village of Gorwak in North Waziristan , once a stronghold of localand foreign militants until the military cleared them out.
The apparent target of the strike was Haqqani network’s local commander,Qudrat Ullah, but it was unclear if he was among those killed when thedrone’s missiles struck the compound, two officials said.
The officials said there were unconfirmed reports about the killing of asenior Pakistani Taliban commander, Khalid Mehsud, who is also known ascommander Sajna, in a separate strike in neighboring Afghanistan.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are notauthorized to speak to the media.
Also Thursday, missiles fired from US drone slammed into a vehicle inAfghanistan’s eastern Paktia province, killing four militants, said ShahMohammad Aryan, a spokesman for the provincial chief police.
The strike took place in the mountainous Barmal district of Paktiaprovince, where fighters from both the Haqqani network and Pakistan’sTehrik-e-Taliban militant group are believed to operate.
Pakistan opposes US drone strikes, saying they violate its sovereignty.
Confirmation of the strikes came shortly before Afghanistan Deputy ForeignMinister Hekmat Khalil Karzai arrived in Islamabad for talks with Pakistaniofficials.
Friday’s visit came days after Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjuatraveled to Afghanistan and met with Afghan officials following series ofmilitant attacks in Kabul that killed over 200 people.
Janjua’s visit to Kabul was part of a larger dialogue many Afghans saw itas a response to their accusations against Islamabad.
On Friday, Karzai met with Pakistani officials about a week after AfghanPresident Ashraf Ghani insisted that the “center of Taliban terrorism is inPakistan” and demanded that authorities in the neighboring country “showsome concrete action to rid their territory of insurgents.”
Ghani last week sent Afghan officials to share evidence that the Talibanattacks emanated from militant training centers in Pakistan. Afghanistan’sIntelligence Chief Masoom Stanikzai and Interior Minister Wais Ahmed Barmakat the time presented documentation and confessions from arrested men whoKabul believed were trained in Islamic seminaries in Pakistan.
Pakistan and Kabul often trade accusations that the other is harboringenemy insurgents.- AGENCIES