ORAKZAI AGENCY - Two militants including an alleged commander of Haqqani network were killed when a US drone hit their hideout at Speen Tal area of Orakzai Agency in early hours of Tuesday.
According to details, it was at Sehri time when the US drone fired missiles at a suspected militants’ compound, as a result of which, a commander of Haqqani network identified as Abu Bakar along with his companion were killed in the strike.
Sources said that at least two missiles were fired by the US drone due to which the compound, which was situated on the boundary between Hangu District and Orakzai Agency, was completely demolished.
After the incident, the US drones continued hovering for some time in the areas of Speen Tal and at Tal Tehsil of Hangu District.
Speen Tal also borders North Waziristan and Kurram agencies.
It is stated that Abu Bakar was associated with the Haqqani Network and he belonged to Khost province of Afghanistan, bordering North Waziristan and Kurram Agency.
Following the drone attack, the political administration said that the strike occurred at Hangu District, while the district administration Hangu said the incident happened in Orakzai Agency.
Agencies add: A security official said the drone strike took place in Hangu district.
A resident of Dewal village, Behram Khan, said three more people were injured in the strike, including a boy. Khan said Abubakar was from Afghanistan’s Khost Province and that his original name was Omar.
He added that the slain commander moved to Dewal from North Waziristan tribal district after the Pakistani military launched a counterterrorist operation there in 2014.
Local residents said the drone was strafing above the area for a while, before it destroyed the targeted compound.
The drone strike comes after a May 31 truck bombing in Kabul 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.
US drone kills Haqqani commander in Orakzai
