The US has conducted yet another cross-border strike in the badlands of Pakistan’s tribal agencies. In the fifth cross-border strike in six days, unmanned aircraft operating from Afghanistan struck an al Qaeda safe house in the village of Gurwak in Taliban-controlled North Waziristan.
Five to seven people have been reported killed in the strike. AFP reported five “foreign militants” – a term used to describe al Qaeda operatives, were killed. The identity of those killed has not been disclosed as Pakistani security forces are attempting to reach the scene of the attack. Geo TV reported that four children and three women were killed in the strike.
The village of Gurwak is in territory run by the powerful Haqqani family. The Haqqanis are closely allied with the Taliban and al Qaeda. The Haqqanis run a parallel government in North Waziristan and conduct military and suicide operations in eastern Afghanistan. Siraj Haqqani, the son of Taliban leader Jalaluddin Haqqani, has close ties to Osama bin Laden and is one of the most wanted terrorists in Afghanistan.
Cross-border strikes increase during 2008
The US has stepped up its attacks against al Qaeda and the Taliban’s networks inside Pakistan over the past year. There have been 13 confirmed cross-border attacks by the US in Pakistan this year [see list below]. Five safe houses have been hit in North Waziristan, six have been hit in South Waziristan, and two have been targeted in Bajaur this year. Only 10 such cross-border strikes were recorded in 2006 and 2007 combined.
The attack tempo has intensified over the past week. The US has conducted five cross-border attacks inside Pakistan since Aug 31. Three of the strikes occurred in North Waziristan, and two in South Waziristan.
On Aug. 31, US forces conducted two attacks. Five al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, including two Canadians of Arab origin, were killed in an airstrike near Miramshah in South Waziristan. That same day, a strike on a Taliban safe house in North Waziristan killed six. Another attack on a home known to shelter al Qaeda operatives in North Waziristan on Sept. 4 killed four.
The most controversial strike involved special operation teams inserted by helicopters in a village in South Waziristan just one mile from the Afghan border on Sept. 3. This is the second recorded incident of the direct involvement of US ground troops in a raid inside Pakistan since 2006.
Background on this year’s attacks
Three senior al Qaeda operatives have been confirmed killed during this year’s cross-border strikes in Pakistan.
Abu Khabab al Masri, al Qaeda’s bomb expert and weapons of mass destruction chief, was killed South Waziristan on July 28. Abu Sulayman Jazairi, al Qaeda’s external operations chief, was killed in Bajaur on May 14. Abu Laith al Libi, a senior commander in Afghanistan and the leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, was killed in North Waziristan on Jan. 28.
While the strikes have disrupted al Qaeda’s senior leadership, they have done little to disrupt the growth of al Qaeda and the Taliban in northwestern Pakistan.
The Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied terrorist groups have established 157 training camps and more than 400 support locations in the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal.
The Taliban has organized some of its fighters into military formations. Al Qaeda has reformed the notorious 055 Brigade, the Arab legion of al Qaeda fighters that was destroyed during the initial US assault in Afghanistan in late 2001. Additional al Qaeda brigades have been formed, intelligence officials informed The Long War Journal.
Foreign al Qaeda fighters have flocked to the Pakistani border regions. On July 23, Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani and his cabinet were told that more than 8,000 foreign fighters were operating in the tribal areas.
US attacks inside Pakistan in 2008:
• US airstrike killed five al Qaeda operatives in North Waziristan,
Sept. 5, 2008
• Report: US airstrike kills four in North Waziristan,
Sept. 4, 2008
• Pakistanis claim US helicopter-borne forces assaulted village in South Waziristan,
Sept. 3, 2008
• US hits al Qaeda safe house in North Waziristan,
Aug. 31, 2008
• Five killed in al Qaeda safe house strike in South Waziristan,
Aug. 31, 2008
• Al Qaeda safe house targeted in South Waziristan strike,
Aug. 20, 2008
• Cross-border strike targets one of the Taliban’s 157 training camps in Pakistan’s northwest,
Aug. 13, 2008
• Six killed in strike in South Waziristan,
July 28, 2008
• Senior Algerian al Qaeda operative killed in May 14 strike inside Pakistan,
May 24, 2008
• Missile strike kills 20 in South Waziristan,
March 16, 2008
• Unprecedented Coalition strike nails the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan,
March 13, 2008
• Missile strike on al Qaeda meeting in South Waziristan kills 13,
Feb. 28, 2008
• Senior al Qaeda leader Abu Laith al Libi killed in North Waziristan,
Jan. 31, 2008
For more information on the Haqqani family, see:
• The Haqqani Network: Reign of terror, Aug. 2, 2008
• Targeting Taliban commander Siraj Haqqani, Oct. 20, 2007
12 Comments
Though you wouldn’t know it from the press, things are really picking up over there. Thanks for keeping us updated on the US strikes, this is all very good news!
The report of 4 children & 3 women killed (out of the total 7 people) sounds like a very suspicious report. Where are the men? My guess is that we hit them where it hurts, and that they immediately trot out the women and children report to try to stop us by creating negative public opinion. I would be shocked if we didn’t hit some of the terrorists we were after as carefully as the targeting is done. Every effort is made to avoid civilians by our military, unlike our enemy, who preys on them on purpose to try to force cooperation through intimidation.
Perhaps someday we will find out about the intel breakthrough that led to this increased tempo of operations. It’s unprecendented as far as I know. Thanks for the great reporting as always, Bill.
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 09/05/2008 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
I think Jerjes’ comment shows that we need to do a better job on the information war. Looking back at some of the insurgent propaganda in Iraq, they did do a fairly effective job at getting recruits to prevent the evil Zionist Imperialist American Crusader Force from “stealing” oil.
The idea isn’t that you pose it as Islamists vs. the West, because the militancy isn’t that popular. But, if you pose it as a few, faithful Pakistani renegades taking on the evil superpowers, it sounds more charming. This needs to be countered with the facts.
Jerges can’t follow the rules of commenting so his comments won’t stand. It is unfortunate that Jerges and some others can’t follow basic rules about courtesy and cursing.
Another great report Bill. Between your reports and Michael Yon’s I always know I am getting the straight scoop about what is going on. As always GOOD WORK TROOPS KEEP KILLING HIRABI’S!!!
Great article but yet more innocence died sigh, when will this war end? I just feel so unfortunate for those people living in countries that are constantly in wars
no more mr. nice guy its time to man up and we are realizing that now so expect more strikes
Do we see the hand of Petreus in this? Cross border raid followed by relative quick air strike. Following the intelligence tree in the same manner we took apart the networks in Iraq. No situation is identical but there can be similarities. Shaping the battlefield for future exploitation.
yawn… call me when the headline says.. CIA takes out AQ financiers around the world. 100 believed dead. otherwise.. we are just wasting our money killing pathologically insane foot soldiers.
I think MAJOR SCARLET has made a good point. This is a war, and this enemy does not have rules. Its been time to take the gloves off, sometimes you need to be more brutal, more ruthless than ur enemy. Taking the bite out of the CIA was stupid. Its a dirty game, and this game is played world wide. On the other hand, the logistics route is the most important, and worrisome event right now. It was gonna happen, I hope the military has a contingency for this. In the meantime, time has truly come to break out the heavy airpower. This is so overdue, coz the P-stani’s let this happen-and we just watched, asking, prodding…to no avail. I will not be surprised if one day soon the news comes that US warplanes shot down P-stani fighter aircraft. They are the enemy. Thier people hate us. I would not even blink if the US took out thier nuclear capability. Using ANY means to achieve that end. Keep pouring it on, up the ante and break out the heavy stuff. Its getting ugly…