PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A senior al Qaeda commander and five other militants were killed in a drone strike in Pakistan, according to security officials. The strike comes a day after Pakistan said it had killed top al Qaeda commander Adnan el Shukrijumah, who was indicted in the U.S. over a foiled plot to bomb the New York subway.
Pakistan's military formally denied that a drone strike had taken place, but two Pakistani security officials told NBC News on Sunday that a drone had fired two missiles and hit a compound where Taliban militants were hiding in Khar Tangi, a village in the restive region of North Waziristan. At least six militants — including four foreign fighters — were killed, according to the officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
"An important al Qaeda commander has been killed in the drone strike but there is no further details about his identity," one of the security officials said on phone. The Pakistani army is currently waging a months-long operation against Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants who have controlled North Waziristan for years.