(Previous Incident Code: Ob334 )

Between six and 10 suspected militants were killed and four others were injured in drone strikes, the location of which is under contention. There were no reports of civilian casualties.

Hours after the five-month hiatus in drone strikes ended, drones reportedly fired multiple missiles at alleged militants, reportedly killing either six or 10 people. But reports disagreed on the target of the strikes, with the Conflict Monitoring Centre (CMC) and AFP reporting that the drones targeted men who were digging out bodies at the site of the previous strike – a tactic previously exposed by the Bureau.

PTI and NBC News also reported that the attack took place in the same village as the previous strike. NBC reported the strike hit a house where explosives were being stored. ‘I never heard such a huge and deafening blast,’ Miranshah resident Javed Khan said. ‘It jolted the entire tribal region, and everybody thought [the] house was targeted.’

But separate reports, also by AFP and by Xinhua, presented a different account, with locals saying missiles hit four separate houses and a pick-up truck in Dande Darpakhel, killing at least 10 and wounding four. Intelligence officials and locals described seeing five to ten drones overhead. And Associated Press said three missiles hit a house and vehicle.

According to Reuters, ‘two top government officials said Islamabad had given the Americans “express approval” for the strikes’. The unnamed officials said this and the previous strike were in retaliation for the attack on Karachi on June 9.

According to Dawn and the CMC Haji Gul, a key Haqqani network commander from Afghanistan, was allegedly killed along with prominent Afghan Taliban commanders Mufti Sofian and Abu Bakar. The attack reportedly destroyed explosive-laden vehicles, reportedly bound for missions across the Pakistani border.

Dawn and the CMC identified five more of the dead: Commander Yasin Gardezi, Abdullah Khan, Commander Jamil, Commander Asadullah and Noor Khan, their driver. The CMC named six further alleged Haqqani Network members killed in the strike: Commanders Saif el Jihad and Commander Roohullah, both Pashtun from Pakistan, Hamza Gul, Hamza, Bilal and Mehmood.