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| Drone Strikes a Seminary in Pakistan | Drone Strikes a Seminary in Pakistan |
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| PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Missiles believed to have been fired by an American drone struck an Islamic seminary in northern Pakistan on Thursday, in a rare strike outside the country’s volatile tribal regions. | PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Missiles believed to have been fired by an American drone struck an Islamic seminary in northern Pakistan on Thursday, in a rare strike outside the country’s volatile tribal regions. |
| The attack, in the Hangu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, killed six people and wounded five, including several members of the Haqqani militant network, according to a senior Pakistani security official. | The attack, in the Hangu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, killed six people and wounded five, including several members of the Haqqani militant network, according to a senior Pakistani security official. |
| The attack came as Pakistani officials and politicians from across the political spectrum have intensified criticism of the American drone attacks, particularly after a strike on Nov. 1 killed Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, and disrupted the government’s plan to open peace negotiations with the militants. | The attack came as Pakistani officials and politicians from across the political spectrum have intensified criticism of the American drone attacks, particularly after a strike on Nov. 1 killed Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, and disrupted the government’s plan to open peace negotiations with the militants. |
| The drone fired missiles into the seminary, near the border with Afghanistan, around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, Iftikhar Ahmad, a local police officer, said in a telephone interview. Local officials said that drones had been flying over the area since Monday. | The drone fired missiles into the seminary, near the border with Afghanistan, around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, Iftikhar Ahmad, a local police officer, said in a telephone interview. Local officials said that drones had been flying over the area since Monday. |
| “The bodies have been mutilated and burned beyond recognition,” he said. “We are investigating the matter.” | “The bodies have been mutilated and burned beyond recognition,” he said. “We are investigating the matter.” |
| A senior government official in Peshawar said the seminary belonged to Qari Noor Mohammad, who was affiliated with the Haqqani network. | A senior government official in Peshawar said the seminary belonged to Qari Noor Mohammad, who was affiliated with the Haqqani network. |
| The network, which operates on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, is one of the most lethal groups of the Taliban insurgency. This month, unidentified gunmen killed Nasiruddin Haqqani, a son of the group’s founder and one of its chief fund-raisers, in Pakistan. | The network, which operates on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, is one of the most lethal groups of the Taliban insurgency. This month, unidentified gunmen killed Nasiruddin Haqqani, a son of the group’s founder and one of its chief fund-raisers, in Pakistan. |
| Another security official said that four of those killed were Afghan militants belonging to the Haqqani network, including Ahmad Jan, a senior network leader who also looked after finances for the group. The two others killed in the strike were students at the seminary, which was in a small Afghan refugee camp in Tandora. | Another security official said that four of those killed were Afghan militants belonging to the Haqqani network, including Ahmad Jan, a senior network leader who also looked after finances for the group. The two others killed in the strike were students at the seminary, which was in a small Afghan refugee camp in Tandora. |
| The drone strike on Thursday happened a day after Sartaj Aziz, the national security adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, told a senate foreign affairs committee in Islamabad that the United States had assured Pakistan that it would halt such strikes during negotiations with Pakistani militants. | The drone strike on Thursday happened a day after Sartaj Aziz, the national security adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, told a senate foreign affairs committee in Islamabad that the United States had assured Pakistan that it would halt such strikes during negotiations with Pakistani militants. |
| Mr. Aziz did not give a time frame for when the proposed peace talks with militants in the tribal region might begin. Earlier talks broke off after the strike that killed Mr. Mehsud. | Mr. Aziz did not give a time frame for when the proposed peace talks with militants in the tribal region might begin. Earlier talks broke off after the strike that killed Mr. Mehsud. |
| The Tehreek-e-Insaf Party, which governs Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, had already called for a protest on Saturday to pressure Mr. Sharif to halt NATO supplies destined for Afghanistan to get the United States to stop drone strikes. | The Tehreek-e-Insaf Party, which governs Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, had already called for a protest on Saturday to pressure Mr. Sharif to halt NATO supplies destined for Afghanistan to get the United States to stop drone strikes. |
| Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Imran Khan, the former cricket star who leads the party, sharply criticized both the United States and the Pakistani government. | Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Imran Khan, the former cricket star who leads the party, sharply criticized both the United States and the Pakistani government. |
| Mr. Khan said his party would stage a mass protest against drones in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and reiterated his vow to block NATO supplies. “I urge all people to gather in Peshawar on Saturday and show that we are honorable people,” he said. | Mr. Khan said his party would stage a mass protest against drones in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and reiterated his vow to block NATO supplies. “I urge all people to gather in Peshawar on Saturday and show that we are honorable people,” he said. |
Ismail | Salman Masood and Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud contributed reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan. |