(Previous Incident Code: Ob325 )

At least six people were killed and two wounded in an alleged US drone strike. Four missiles reportedly hit two houses. The identify of those killed was not immediately known, an anonymous Pakistani official said.

The News reported that the drone killed six people and injured three others, whereas Xinhua claimed seven people were killed and two others wounded. Business Standard reported four people were injured.

Local TV news said the strike hit at 3pm local time. The houses were “reduced to debris”, an anonymous security official in Miranshah told The News. He added that intercepted communications between militants led Pakistan intelligence to judge those killed were foreigners. A TTP source told The News all the dead were foreign militants. A local security official told Express Tribune “tribesmen from nearby houses rushed to the site of the attack immediately after and pulled out the casualties from the rubble”.

The strike’s target was unclear. It appeared to be somewhere in the heavily wooded Shawal valley, north or south of the border between the two Waziristans. The Shawal valley is a stronghold for militant groups reportedly administered by commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur.

The drone strike came on the day the suicide bombing of a crowded church in Peshawar killed up to 81 people. Jundullah, a violent militant group reportedly closely associated with the Taliban and al Qaeda, claimed responsibility. Jundullah commander Ahmed Marwat said: “Until drone strikes are stopped, we will continue with this. Consider this the first of our actions.” He continued: “Whoever is non-Muslim will be targeted.”