Jalil Haqqani killed by US drone strike
The MQ Reaper, a “hunter-killer” drone, will be launched from the base in Seychelles to strike militant groups in East Africa.
Pakistani intelligence officials said U.S. drone strikes in northwest Pakistan killed seven suspected militants on Thursday, including a senior commander of the Haqqani network, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Jalil Haqqani was a senior logistics coordinator for the militant group, and he was related to the leader of the Al Qaeda-linked group, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Voice of America reported. A second strike killed four militants in South Waziristan, according to the Washington Post. A political leader in the area said the men were killed while trying to plant explosives.
The drone attacks are the first in Pakistan this month.
More: Drone Wars: The rationale
The strikes came as Marc Grossman, U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, arrived in Islamabad. His mission: to try to ease tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan, the Washington Post reported.
Relations between the two countries have been strained, and the U.S. has aimed allegations at the country for supporting the Haqqani network.
Last month, senior U.S. officials accused Pakistan's military spy agency of helping the Haqqani network launch attacks in Afghanistan, including an assault on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Pakistan has denied the allegations.
GlobalPost has tackled the issue of U.S. drone strikes in the new Drone Wars series. To read more about it, check out the main page or follow us on Twitter at @GlobalPost, using the hashtag #DroneWars.
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