PESHAWAR: Atleast five suspected militants were killed in a United States drone strike carried out in North Waziristan's Mangroti area on Saturday.

This was the second US drone strike of the day in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.

Earlier in the day, at least 20 suspected militants were killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province close to the zero line near Pakistan's Khyber tribal region.

Security sources said those killed belonged to the militant Islamic State (IS) group in Afghanistan.

They were killed when the drone targeted suspected militant hideouts in Nangarhar's Achin district. Several suspected insurgent compounds were also destroyed in the attack.

Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province borders the Khyber Agency in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Security officials have in the past warned against IS gaining a foothold in Afghanistan's eastern region, where the group reportedly murdered tribal elders, clashed with the rival Taliban, imprisoned families and enforced strict rules on women.

Afghanistan does not provide a natural constituency from which IS can recruit, meaning the group relies heavily on defections from existing insurgent outfits.

Backed by US drone strikes, Afghan security forces last year mobilised and eliminated multiple IS leaders along with dozens, if not hundreds, of militants.

Opinion

Editorial

Revised solar policy
Updated 15 Mar, 2025

Revised solar policy

Criticism policy revisions misplaced as these will increase payback periods for consumers with oversized solar systems.
Toxic prejudice
15 Mar, 2025

Toxic prejudice

WITH far-right movements on the march across the world, it is no surprise that anti-Muslim bias is witnessing high...
Children in jails
15 Mar, 2025

Children in jails

PAKISTAN’S children in prison have often been treated like adult criminals. The Sindh government’s programme to...
Cohesive response
Updated 14 Mar, 2025

Cohesive response

Solely militarised response has failed to deliver, counterterrorism efforts must be complemented by political outreach in Balochistan.
Agriculture tax
14 Mar, 2025

Agriculture tax

THE changes in the provincial agriculture income tax laws aimed at aligning their rates with the federal corporate...
Closing the gap
14 Mar, 2025

Closing the gap

PAKISTAN continues to struggle with gender inequality in its labour market. A new report by the ILO shows just how...