Kabul, August 27 (RHC)-- A U.S. drone strike has claimed the lives of at least three members of one family in the eastern province of Nangarhar in Afghanistan. The drone strike was carried out on Wednesday, with witnesses saying that the victims -- a man, his son and his brother -- were apparently hit while collecting stones outdoors.

Local Afghan officials have made no comment on the deadly incident. However, sources with the Taliban militant group have confirmed that those killed in the strike were not members of the group.

In early August, local authorities said at least 75 people were killed in U.S. drone attacks in various districts of Nangarhar, which lies on the Afghan border with Pakistan.

The CIA spy agency regularly uses drones for airstrikes and spying missions in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt near the Afghan border, among other places. Washington has been conducting targeted killings through the remotely-controlled armed drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen.

The United Nations says the U.S. drone attacks are “targeted killings” that constitute a violation of international law.