In a first, US drone strikes in Afghan province of Kunar

The dead militants include senior TTP commanders Mullah Dadaullah and Mullah Abdul Rehman Ghalib.

ISLAMABAD: A US drone fired missiles on a hideout of Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province on Friday and killed 12 insurgents, including two prominent commanders, Afghan officials said.

Kunar Governor Fazalullah Wahidi and Police Commander Yewaz Khan Nazari confirmed the strike and killing of fighters from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and their commanders – Mullah Dadaullah and Mullah Abdul Rehman Ghalib.

Both commanders were wanted to Pakistan for their involvement in attacks on security forces.

They had been involved in last year’s kidnapping of a group of Pakistani youth from Bajaur Agency and Dadullah had spoken to the Afghan media when the kidnapped boys were produced before the media.

An Afghan journalist, Enayat Saafi, told The Express Tribune by phone from Kunar late Friday that Nato officials have also confirmed the drone strike.

He said that a US drone fired two missiles on a TTP base in the Shegal area of Kunar on the border with Pakistan.

The targeted Taliban were involved in attacks on Pakistani border posts and Islamabad had been demanding the Nato and the US to launch operation against them.

Nato and US officials confirmed the killing of 12 TTP militants in the drone strike while seven others were injured.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2012.