(Previous Incident Code: B18 )

A US strike in Bhaggar, south Waziristan, killed up to five civilians and wounded several women and children while between nine and 25 militants were reported killed in the strike by local and internatonal media.

Four US-waged missiles were reportedly launched against  Hezb-i-Islami ‘good’ Taliban commanders Abdul Rehman, Islam Wazir and between 10-25 other suspected militants, the highest estimate reported by The Long War Journal.  Rehman’s militant brother Mohammad Islam and Abdul Islam were also reportedly killed.

However, according to the Bureau of Investigatie Journalism’s researchers in Waziristan, five civilians, all identified by first name, were also killed in the attack.  All five belonged to the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe. Additionally, The News reported that injured women and children were treated at the local hospital.

While a U.S. military spokesman, cited by Reuters, denied any US involvement and that, according to the local tribal administration’s internal data, this was a “NATO/ANA [Afghan National Army] attack,” a leaked US intelligence report later confirmed that the US was behind:

“Predator killed foreign fighters and militants associated with HVT Usama Al-Kini and commander Nazir.”