Drone said to kill militants in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD — A suspected U.S. drone strike struck a compound in a Pakistani northwestern tribal region along the Afghan border on Friday, killing three suspected militants and wounding two others, an army officer and two security officials said.

The strike took place on a border village in the Kurram tribal region, which has served as a hideout for local and foreign militants over the past several years. Pakistan has carried out several operations against militants in Kurram, but violence has persisted.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief media.

No government spokesman was available for comment. If confirmed, it would be the first U.S. drone strike on Pakistan since President Donald Trump announced his new strategy for Afghanistan last month. The Trump administration in August angered Pakistan when it accused Islamabad of providing extremists safe haven and threatened to withhold military aid. Pakistan and the country’s military have repeatedly said they have acted against the Afghan insurgent Haqqani network and other militants without any discrimination.

The officials said apparently three local Afghan Taliban commanders, including Mullah Asmat and his nephew, were targeted but it was unclear whether they were present at the time. The officials said supporters of the Haqqani network also operate from the border village.