PESHAWAR: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s deputy chief and commander of the Mehsud area, Waliur Rehman Mehsud, was killed in US drone strike on a compound in the Chashma area of Miramshah in the North Waziristan tribal region along with close aide Fahkr-i-Alam and five others, including Uzbek militants, official and intelligence sources told Dawn.com.

Intelligence as well as tribal sources confirmed that the TTP’s second top man had died along with six others in the drone strike.

Sources added that officials from the political administration had also communicated to Fata secretariat authorities regarding the death of Rehman and six others in the strike.

Besides Rehman, the other militants killed in the strike include Nasarullah, Shahabuddin, Adil, Nasiruddin, Fakhr-i-Alam and Saeedur Rehman who were present in the compound at the time of the strike, the sources said.

As the militants removed the bodies, communication intercepts among TTP militants confirmed to intelligence agencies that Rehman had been killed.

The TTP, however, is yet to confirm or deny the report of the death of their second top commander.

Official intelligence sources also confirmed that they had checked and verified the information on ground and had credible knowledge that seven people had died in the strike on the compound, including Rehman.

Political administration and military authorities in the tribal areas neither confirm nor deny such drone strikes.