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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. |
The US has attacked a Taliban safe house in the lawless tribal agency of North Waziristan, killing two people, according to reports from the region.
An unmanned Predator aircraft fired at least one Hellfire missile at a Taliban safe house in the Tapi Tool region near Miramshah, the main town in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency, Geo News reported.
No senior leaders have been reported killed in the strike.
The al Qaeda-linked Haqqani family and Taliban warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadar operate in North Waziristan. The Haqqani Network has a strong presence in Miramshah region of North Waziristan.
The Haqqanis control large swaths of the tribal area and run a parallel administration with courts, recruiting centers, tax offices, and security forces. They have established multiple training camps and safe houses used by al Qaeda leaders and operatives, as well as by Taliban foot soldiers preparing to fight in Afghanistan.
Nearly 60 percent of US strikes in Pakistan this year have taken place in North Waziristan.
Background on the recent strikes inside Pakistan
The US attacks inside Pakistan have tapered off the past six weeks after a high operational tempo in September and October, when strikes into Pakistan averaged two to three a week. Only eight attacks have been recorded in November and the first two weeks of December. The majority of these attacks have been inside North and South Waziristan.
Attacks in the tribal areas have decreased in frequency over the past six weeks as al Qaeda and the Taliban have taken additional security precautions, a senior US military intelligence official told The Long War Journal. “They have either gone to ground or are limiting their movements and meetings to reduce their visibility,” the official said.
There have been 35 recorded cross-border attacks and attempts in Pakistan this year, according to numbers compiled by The Long War Journal. Twenty-eight of these attacks took place since Aug. 31. There were only 10 recorded 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.
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.
The US strikes inside Pakistan’s tribal areas have killed five senior al Qaeda leaders this year. All of the leaders were involved in supporting al Qaeda’s external operations directed at the West.
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 weapons of mass destruction 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.
US attacks inside Pakistan and incidents along the border in 2008:
• US Predator strikes in North Waziristan
Dec. 15, 2008
• US strike in South Waziristan kills 7
Dec. 11, 2008
• US Predator hits al Qaeda target in North Waziristan kills 3
Dec. 5, 2008
• US strike in North Waziristan kills 3
Nov. 29, 2008
• US hits Taliban safe house in North Waziristan
Nov. 21, 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
7 Comments
Lots of UAV strikes, but some like this one have few casualties and no HVT’s. I’m a bit confused as to how it works out, do the HVT’s leave the area before the strike is authorized, or do we gain some kind of intelligence when we launch these strikes? Or are we just getting bad tips?
I always thought the smaller the casualties the better chance we targeted or killed a HVT. Someone like Bin Laden and Zawahiri is not going to stay at a house with 10, 11, 12… other people.
I just love those predators. Nothing like killing hirabi’s by remote control. GOOD WORK TROOPS KEEP KILLING HIRABI’S!!!
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 12/16/2008 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
Pakistani air defence radar has to be aware of those strikes as they cross the border.
For long range air defense radar Pakistan has the US made AN/FPS-117 and the US made L-88, Chinese made YLC-2 3D, and Chinese made YLC-6 2D systems.
They know the Predators are coming as soon as the Predators cross the mountains.
INSIDE
SOURCES,
R
I believe the Predator serves a minor, unintendend role, as a psychological weapon. The fact that we are willing to use them, that they are effectively silent, and very deadly, must get in their heads.
I would like my own Predator.
Good work troops! Keep killing “HIRABI’S?” That takes some deep thinking…