Top Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur among 14 killed in US drone strike - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

At least 14 suspected Taliban insurgents, including top extremist commander, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, were reportedly killed in a couple of US drone attacks in North Waziristan. Acccording to sources, in the first attack, an unmanned aircraft targeted a vehicle firing four missiles in Macha Madakhel at Dada Khel tehsil, killing six terrorists. Another vehicle, which was on its way to help the victims of the first attack, was also targeted killing eight more militants, The Daily Times reports. An intelligence official confirmed the missile hits, but failed to substantiate reports regarding the death of Bahadur. US drone attacks routinely target Taliban and Al Qaeda commanders in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions along the Afghanistan border. A US drone strike in Miranshah in February killed Muhammad Haqqani, a brother of al Qaeda-linked warlord Sirajuddin Haqqani, whose network is fighting against US and local forces in Afghanistan. The frequency of missile hits has increased considerably in North Waziristan following a bomb attack on a CIA camp in Afghanistan in December last year, which killed seven top US intelligence officials.