Ethan Miller—AFP
Two missiles targeted a suspected Taliban compound and also wounded three militants.
A U.S. drone strike killed at least five militants in the tribal region near the Afghan border on Thursday, Pakistani security officials said, the second such attack this year.
The strike targeted a Taliban compound in South Waziristan, one of seven semi-autonomous tribal districts that border Afghanistan, and an area that has been a hub for Al Qaeda and Taliban militants since the early 2000s. Recent drone attacks by the U.S. have raised speculation that Washington and Islamabad are coordinating their military efforts.
Pakistan, however, officially denounces the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty.
“A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a compound in Laddha village killing five terrorists and wounding three others,” said a senior security official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another security official confirmed the strike and casualties. “Two Uzbek and three local militants were killed in the drone strike,” a third local intelligence official said.
The area is generally off-limits to journalists, making it difficult to independently verify the number and identity of the dead.
Washington pressed Islamabad for years to wipe out militant sanctuaries in North Waziristan, which have been used to launch attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan. The Pakistani military launched a major offensive in the area in June and says it has killed more than 1,700 militants so far, with 126 soldiers having lost their lives.