At least five people have been killed in an assassination drone attack carried out by US forces in Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Kunar

At least five people have been killed in an assassination drone attack carried out by US forces in Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Kunar, Press TV reports.

The attack was carried out in Marawara District on Wednesday.

The US military confirmed the attack, saying the target was a group of Taliban militants.

However, the militant group has made no comments so far.

The US claims its airstrikes target militants, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims.

The attacks, a bone of contention between Washington and Kabul, have fueled public anti-US sentiment in Afghanistan.

President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly questioned the legality of the drone strikes and on numerous occasions has called on Washington to stop the attacks.

The US-led war in Afghanistan removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains across the country despite the presence of thousands of US-led foreign troops.

Over the past year, US drone strikes have escalated significantly in Afghanistan.

The United Nations says the US-operated drone strikes pose a growing challenge to the international rule of law.