First US drone strike under Trump administration kills 2 Afghan Taliban leaders in Pakistan

Two Afghan Taliban commanders were killed on Thursday in a US drone strike in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region, the first such attack after Donald Trump assumed presidency.

The CIA-operated drone fired two missiles that killed two Taliban militants on the spot in a village in Kurram Agency, near the Afghanistan border, a local government official said.

The two were identified as Afghan Taliban commander Qari Abdullah Sabrai and Commander Affan.

The investigation into the strike has been started, the official said.

It was the first drone strike in the Pak-Afghan border region since Trump assumed US presidency, The News reported.

There had been no drone strike by the US in Pakistan since May 21, 2016.

This was one of the longest periods that no US drone attack had taken place in Pakistan. The drone strikes by the US under the supervision of the CIA in Pakistan began in 2004. There have been 424 drone attacks in Pakistan to-date.

The strikes have killed a total of 2,499 to 4,001 persons including 424 to 966 civilians, the report said.