At least seven persons including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s deputy chief and commander of the Mehsud area, Waliur Rehman Mehsud were reportedly killed in a drone attack in the North Waziristan tribal region.
Intelligence as well as tribal sources confirmed that the TTP’s second top man had died along with his close aide Fakhr-i-Alam and five others, including Uzbek militants.
Sources added that officials from the political administration had also communicated to Fata secretariat authorities regarding the death of Rehman and six others in the strike.
Besides Rehman, the other militants killed in the strike include Nasarullah, Shahabuddin, Adil, Nasiruddin, Fakhr-i-Alam and Saeedur Rehman who were present in the compound at the time of the strike, the sources said.
As the militants removed the bodies, communication intercepts among TTP militants confirmed to intelligence agencies that Rehman had been killed.
Official intelligence sources also confirmed that they had checked and verified the information on ground and had credible knowledge that seven people had died in the strike on the compound, including Rehman.
Political administration and military authorities in the tribal areas neither confirm nor deny such drone strikes.
This is the first major drone attack from United States after the policy statement from Barack Obama last week giving reasoning to operate drone planes in the area.
TTP spokesman says that he cannot confirm the news as he is not aware with the issue.