US Drone Strike on Pakistani Islamic Seminary Kills Six

A suspected US drone strike on an Islamic seminary in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has killed six people including at least two Afghan militants, Pakistani security officials said.

The drone attack took place in a densely populated area of the province, which is close to the Taliban strongholds of North and Northwest Pakistan where the CIA concentrates its drone operations.

As many as three missiles hit the seminary in Hangu district, which is suspected to be frequently visited by senior members of the Afghan Haqqani network.

Police said at least three students and two teachers were killed in the early morning strike.

The two militants killed in the attack reportedly belonged to the Haqqani network, though the identities of those killed were not immediately clear.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network, was spotted at the seminary two days ago, Reuters reported, citing intelligence sources.

Militants often visit seminaries to consult their spiritual leaders as well as to recruit new fighters. The Haqqani network is an ally of the Taliban and one of the most infamous militant groups battling US troops in Afghanistan.

The attack came days after Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a similar drone strike by the US in the North Waziristan tribal region. Pakistani officials were angered by the attack as it came a day before Mehsud was supposed to hold peace talks with them.

The latest strike was executed a day after Sartaj Aziz, foreign policy adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said the US had promised not to carry out any more drone strikes while Islamabad was trying to engage Taliban in peace talks.

Pakistan publicly opposes the US drone strikes, saying the attacks violate its sovereignty and kill civilians. However, officials have admitted the government has clandestinely supported many strikes in the past.