U.S. denies hitting Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan drone strike seen as fatal to Taliban affiliate chief

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan's claim that the U.S. hit an Afghan refugee camp in a drone strike is "false," a U.S. spokesman said Thursday, as tensions between the uneasy allies ratchet higher over Islamabad's alleged support for militants. The apparent strike took place roughly 50 km (30 miles) inside Pakistani territory on Wednesday, according to local authorities. It killed a midlevel commander from the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, officials and a source close to the Islamist group have told AFP. The incident comes just weeks after Washington froze nearly $2 billion in aid to Pakistan over its alleged support for militants, a move that had sparked speculation that the U.S. could resume drone strikes or launch operations along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Local officials have told AFP that the predawn strike took place more than 50 km (30 miles) from the Afghan border, in the village of Mamuzai in Kurram agency, one of the districts in the country's semi-autonomous tribal region.