Three drone strikes near Pak-Afghan border kill 31
October 17, 2017
PESHAWAR: At least 31 people have died in three drone strikes targetting areas near the Pak-Afghan border in Afghanistan over the last 24 hours.
At least 12 people were also injured in the multiple drone attacks.
A drone attack in the Ghuzdari area of Paktia province, near the Pak-Afghan border, on Tuesday killed at least six people and injured one other.
Sources said the drone fired two missiles at a house in the area and killed six people and injured one. Drones could be heard flying over the area after the attack.
The first attack of the day occurred in the Khanachi area of Paktia and killed five people and injured one.
Sources added the strikes targetted hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamat-ul-Ahrar and the Haqqani Network and a total of 10 missiles were fired.
The political administration of the area claims that the drone attack on Monday and the one which occurred today did not happen on the Pakistani side of the border.
The Inter-Services Public Relations also denied that any strikes took place in Kurram Agency or inside Pakistani territory. It added that operations are being carried out against terrorists in Afghanistan, which involves air activity.
At least 20 people were believed killed and 10 injured in a drone attack near the same area on Monday. Six missile strikes were reported to have been carried out.
Following the strike, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on a Geo News programme that the United States should not conduct any drone strikes in either Afghanistan or Pakistan at a time when Afghan peace talks have resumed.
Asif also expressed hope that the four-nation moot in Muscat, Oman to find ways of reviving peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants would yield positive results.
