Drone strike kills at least 3 militants near Pak-Afghan border

Published
0

At least three suspected militants were killed in an alleged United States (US) drone strike on Thursday targeting a militant compound in Afghanistan's Paktia province near the Pak-Afghan border, officials said.

The Paktia provincial governor's spokesperson Abdullah Asrat said the drone strike took place on Afghan soil, in the Patan district. He also gave a higher death toll, saying that seven militants were killed, including two commanders, and that two were wounded.

According to two Pakistani intelligence officials, the unmanned drone fired two missiles at the Ghaznavi compound of the Haqqani network's commander Abdur Rasheed. The network is affiliated with Afghan Taliban.

It was unclear if Rasheed was at the compound at the time of the strike, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

The compound is located on the Pesho Ghar mountain in the Kurram tribal region's Ghuzgari area.

The border separating the two countries zigzags across a remote and difficult mountain terrain.

Pakistan is building a fence along the boundary to halt the cross-border movement of militants but Kabul, which does not recognise the Durand Line as an international border, has objected to the fence as a land grab by Islamabad.

Pakistan opposes the drone strikes, saying they violate its sovereignty and claims it has eradicated militant sanctuaries.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...