At least eight people, including three Haqqani network commanders, were killed on Thursday in a rare US drone strike outside Pakistan’s tribal belt, just a day after a top official said the US had agreed to halt such attacks during negotiations with militants.
The CIA-operated spy plane fired three missiles at Islami Madrassa Muktaba Darul Uloom at Thall in Hangu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Thall is located within the settled areas and just outside North Waziristan Agency. According to Afghan Taliban sources, those killed included Ahmad Jan, a close aide of Haqqani network chief Sirajuddin Haqqani, and commanders Gul Marjan and Hamidullah. Five others were injured.