At least 13 including Pakistan Taliban chief Mullah Nazir were killed in US drone strikes in Pakistan’s restive South and North Waziristan tribal regions.
Islamabad, Jan 3/Nationalturk: The Pakistan Taliban commander Mullah Nazir and 12 other militants were killed in multiple US drone strikes in Pakistan’s restive South and North Waziristan tribal regions.
Pakistan newspaper, The Dawn, quoting intelligence and Taliban sources reported that an unmanned US drone fired two missiles at a vehicle in Sar Kanda area of Birmil in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal district of South Waziristan on Wednesday night.
Reports said at least eight militants were killed in the US drone strike. “Among the dead included pro-government and anti-US Taliban commander Mullah Nazir”,
Dawn newspaper said local political administration officials have confirmed the death of Mullah Nazir.
A Pakistani security official, pleading anonymity, said Nazir and his fighters were targeted as they were trying to swap vehicles when their double cabin pick-up encountered a mechanical fault.
He said two of his influential deputies Atta Ullah and Rafey Khan were also killed.
‘Nazir’s funeral held in Azam Warsak’
Officials said Nazir’s funeral was held in Azam Warsak area, 10 kms from Wana.
Reports quoted residents of Angoor Adda and Wana, the biggest town in South Waziristan, as saying that they heard announcements on mosque loudspeakers announcing Nazir’s death.
Mullah Nazir was the main militant commander in South Waziristan, part of Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mullah Nazir was injured in a suicide attack carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in South Waziristan on November 29. He had also survived previous attempts on his life.
He was understood to be close to Al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network, a faction of the Afghan Taliban blamed for some of most high-profile attacks in Kabul and other areas of Afghanistan.
Nazir’s fighters have previously been targeted by US drone strikes.
Meanwhile, in a separate US drone attack in Mubarak Shahi village in North Waziristan tribal region’s Mir Ali Tehsil, four people were killed and several others injured.
“The US drone targeted a vehicle with two missiles, and then fired another two missiles when rescuers gathered at the site to carry the bodies and the injured. The death toll from the drone strike was expected to rise,” security sources said.
There were unconfirmed reports that a Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Faisal was killed in the US strike along with some Uzbek militants.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
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