Three US Predator drones attacked a building in the Kurram Agency of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) today, killing at least 31 people. The site was reportedly being used by the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the militant faction with whom the Pakistani government has recently been coming to terms in the Swat Valley. A commander named Bahram Khan Kochi was reportedly killed in the strike.

This is the second major US air strike against Pakistani targets in the past three days, and the fourth since President Obama took office. It is also the first strike in Kurram: so far the attacks have centered almost exclusively around neighboring North and South Waziristan.

The Pakistani government has not yet commented on the latest attack, but Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi denied claims made by Senator Feinstein last week that the US drones were using Pakistani bases for the attacks. Qureshi also denied that any understanding exists regarding the repeated US attacks.

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