|
|
|
Map of the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. The government signed peace agreements in the red agencies/ districts (the military said Shangla was under Taliban control in October); purple districts are under de facto Taliban control; yellow regions are under Taliban influence. |
An unmanned US Predator aircraft attacked a Taliban and al Qaeda safe house in the Bannu Frontier Region east of North Waziristan early today, according to reports from the region.
At least five people were killed in the early morning airstrike, including two “foreigners,” according to Dawn. Five people are reported to have been wounded. Arabs and other central Asian and North African al Qaeda members are often called foreigners by local Pakistanis.
Abdullah Azzam al Saudi, a senior al Qaeda leader operating in Pakistan’s tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province, is reported to have been killed in the attack. Azzam, a Saudi national, serves a liaison between al Qaeda and the Taliban operating in Pakistan’s northwest, intelligence officials told The Long War Journal. Azzam facilitates al Qaeda’s external operations network that is tasked with striking against the West. He also served as a recruiter and trainer for al Qaeda.
Dawn said the attack occurred in the Hindi Khel region of Bannu, while Reuters claimed the strike was in Jani Khel. The Hellfire missiles launched from the Predator is said to have hit a compound owned by a “tribesman” named Sakhi Mohammad. The Taliban often host al Qaeda meeting and shelter members in their fortress-like compounds in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
Bannu, a Frontier Region, is outside of Pakistan’s tribal areas. Bannu borders the Taliban-controlled North and South Waziristan tribal areas to the east. According to US intelligence officials and reports from the region, Bannu is effectively under Taliban control.
Today’s airstrike is the first recorded US attack outside of Pakistan’s tribal areas, and appears to be the deepest strike inside Pakistani territory.
Background on the recent strikes inside Pakistan
Today’s attack is only the third since General David Petraeus took command of US Central Command, and the third in November. The attacks are tapering off after a high operational tempo in September and October, when strikes into Pakistan averaged between two to three a week.
There have been 30 recorded cross-border attacks and attempts in Pakistan this year, according to numbers compiled by The Long War Journal. Twenty-three of these attacks have occurred since Aug. 31. There were only 10 strikes during 2006 and 2007 combined.
The strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas have disrupted al Qaeda and the Taliban’s operations, but will not dislodge the groups from power in the region, a senior intelligence official told The Long War Journal.
The US campaign in Pakistan is aimed at disrupting al Qaeda’s ability to attack the West, US intelligence officials told The Long War Journal on Sept. 19.
US intelligence believes the next attack launched against the West will originate from Pakistan’s tribal areas, where al Qaeda operates 157 known training camps, intelligence officials told The Long War Journal in August.
Pakistan has been identified as one of several areas where al Qaeda has regrouped, CIA Director General Michael Hayden during a briefing to the Atlantic Council on Nov. 13.
High value targets
The US strikes inside Pakistan’s tribal areas have killed five senior al Qaeda leaders this year.
Abu Laith al Libi, a senior military commander in Afghanistan, was killed in a strike in North Waziristan in January. Abu Sulayman Jazairi, al Qaeda’s external operations chief, was killed in a strike in Bajaur in March. Abu Khabab al Masri, al Qaeda’s WMD chief, and several senior members of his staff were killed in a strike in South Waziristan in July. Khalid Habib, the leader of al Qaeda’s paramilitary forces in the tribal areas, was killed in North Waziristan in October. Abu Jihad al Masri, the leader of the Egyptian Islamic Group and member of al Qaeda’s top council, was also killed in North Waziristan this October.
Other al Qaeda and Taliban leaders are rumored to have been killed or wounded in recent strikes. Taliban leader Mullah Nazir was wounded in strike in South Waziristan on Nov. 7. Tahir Yuldashev, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, was also targeted in the strike that wounded Nazir. It is still not known if Yuldashev was among those killed.
US attacks inside Pakistan and incidents along the border in 2008:
• US Predator strikes al Qaeda & Taliban outside of Pakistan’s tribal areas
Nov. 19, 2008
• US targets compound in North Waziristan
Nov. 14, 2008
• US Predators strike al Qaeda camp in North Waziristan
Nov. 7, 2008
• US Predators strike again in Waziristan
Oct. 31, 2008
• US strikes kill al Qaeda operatives in North & South Waziristan
Oct. 31, 2008
• US targets Taliban “facility” in South Waziristan
Oct. 26, 2008
• US hits Haqqani Network in North Waziristan
Oct. 22, 2008
• US strike in Baitullah Mehsud’s territory kills 6
Oct. 16, 2008
• US targets safe house in North Waziristan
Oct. 11, 2008
• US strike kills 9 al Qaeda and Taliban in North Waziristan
Oct. 9, 2008
• US conducts two strikes in North Waziristan
Oct. 3, 2008
• Taliban: Baitullah Mehsud alive; US strike in North Waziristan
Oct. 1, 2008
• Pakistan military fires on ISAF forces
Sept. 25, 2008
• Pakistani military fires on US helicopters at border
Sept. 22, 2008
• US strikes Taliban camp in South Waziristan
Sept. 17, 2008
• Report: US helicopters fired on while crossing Pakistani border
Sept. 15, 2008
• US hits compound in North Waziristan
Sept. 12, 2008
• US targets Haqqani Network in North Waziristan
Sept. 8, 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
• Report: Strike targets Baitullah Mehsud’s hideout in Pakistan
June 14, 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
9 Comments
Wow! I definitely think a HVT had to be involved in this particular strike.
I am happy to hear that the USA has not been denied the right to attack Al Quaeda and Taliban safe houses in Pakistan. That whole region is filled with enemies of the USA and Pakistan and the sooner we go in and clean them out the soonner there will be peace in both countries. Mark Montgomery [email protected]
Getting in deeper.
Are Pakistani air assets being moved out of the way? Or do they not even know the Predators are up there? I would suspect the latter, but find it difficult to believe that the Pakistani air force is that completely inept at its job…
AHEM,
R
Sounds like the game being hunted are being herded to a kill zone. Methinks there may be more to these strikes than meets the eye.
The report is that a HVT was killed.
Geo TV: Major Al-Qaeda operative killed in US missile strike
A little more background on Abdullah Azam Al-Saudi.
AFP: Major Al-Qaeda operative killed in US drone strike: Pakistan security
Gotta love those predators, nothing like killing hirabi’s by remote control. GOOD WORK TROOPS KEEP KILLING HIRABI’S!!!
Kudos to our commanders!
Let’s hope the local hosts of these HVTs — upon whose hospitality AQ and Taliban depend — may be getting growing more anxious as their generosity is being repaid by death and destruction.
Too bad we’re not hearing if these strikes are diminishing the enthusiasm of local Taliban sympathisers to harbor these people. I would hope the welcome mat for Jihadists now shadowed by drones might be wearing thin.
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
YES!!!!!!!!!!