Pakistani and U.S. officials say an American missile strike near the Afghan border has killed an al-Qaida-linked Pakistani militant commander.
Two Pakistani intelligence officials said Saturday the commander, Haleem Ullah, was among three militants killed in a U.S. missile strike in South Waziristan on Friday.
A U.S. official says Ullah served as deputy to Maulvi Nazir, a Pakistani who leads a group of militants in the tribal region that is closely allied with al-Qaida.
He says the group works with al-Qaida commanders to direct cross-border operations against the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
The officials spoke on anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media on record.
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Associated Press writer Matt Apuzzo in Washington contributed to this report.
Source: Rasool Dawar, The Associated Press
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