Unmanned US Predator strike aircraft have yet again struck in Pakistan’s Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. The attack is the 10th this month.
US Predators, or the more deadly Reapers, fired three missiles into a “militant hideout” in the village of Bushnarai in Shawal area of North Waziristan today. Eleven terrorists were reported killed in the airstrike, according to AFP.
The exact target of the strike is not yet known. No senior Taliban or al Qaeda commanders have been reported killed. Several “foreigners,” a term used to describe members of al Qaeda, were reported to have been killed in the strike, but the numbers and identities have not been disclosed.
The Shawal area, which is near Miramshah, is in the sphere of influence of the Haqqani Network, a Taliban group led by mujahedeen commander Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Siraj.
Background on recent strikes
Over the past two weeks, the US has hit targets in northwestern Pakistan at an unprecedented rate. Today’s strike is the 10th since Sept. 1, setting up September to be the most active month since the US began launching strikes in Pakistan in 2004. The most active month recorded so far was January 2010, with the US launching 11 strikes in Pakistan in the aftermath of the suicide attack on a US combat outpost in Khost, Afghanistan, that killed seven CIA officials and a Jordanian intelligence officer.
With today’s strikes, the US has carried out 64 attacks inside Pakistan this year. The US exceeded last year’s strike total of 53 with a strike in Kurram late last month. In 2008, the US carried out 36 strikes inside Pakistan. [For up-to-date charts on the US air campaign in Pakistan, see LWJ Special Report, Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 – 2010.]
All but six of this year’s 64 strikes have taken place in North Waziristan. Of the six strikes that have occurred outside of North Waziristan, four took place in South Waziristan, one occurred in Khyber, and one took place in Kurram.
Since July 2008, unmanned US Predator and Reaper strike aircraft have been pounding Taliban and al Qaeda hideouts in the tribal areas in an effort to kill senior terror leaders and disrupt the networks that threaten Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the West. [For more information, see LWJ report, Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 – 2010.]
Background on the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan
The Haqqani family runs the Manba Ulom madrassa in the village of Danda Darpa Khel, a hub of activity for the terror group. The US has struck at targets in Danda Darpa Khel six times since Aug. 20, 2009, and eight times since September 2008.
The Haqqanis are closely allied to al Qaeda and to the Taliban, led by Mullah Omar. Siraj Haqqani is the leader of the Miramshah Regional Military Shura, one of the Taliban’s top four commands. In addition, Siraj sits on the Taliban’s Quetta Shura and is also a member of al Qaeda’s Shura Majlis. The Haqqanis are based on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border, and operate primarily in the Afghan provinces of Khost, Paktia, and Paktika.
Another top leader of the Haqqani Network is Nasiruddin Haqqani, a brother of Siraj. In July, the US Treasury added Nasiruddin to the list of specially designated global terrorists. Nasiruddin has traveled to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates between 2004-2009 to carry out fundraising for the Haqqani Network, al Qaeda, and the Taliban.
The US has been targeting the Haqqani Network in Pakistan as part of its Predator air campaign. On Feb. 18, the US killed Mohammed Haqqani, another of the 12 sons of Jalaluddin Haqqani, in an airstrike in Danda Darpa Khel, just outside Miramshah. Mohammed had served as a military commander for the Haqqani Network. Over the past year, Siraj Haqqani and his military commander, Mullah Sangeen Zadran, have been the targets of several strikes.
Despite the known presence of al Qaeda and other foreign groups in North Waziristan, and requests by the US that action be taken against these groups, the Pakistani military has indicated that it has no plans to take on the Haqqani Network or allied Taliban leaders Hafiz Gul Bahadar and Mullah Nazir. The Haqqanis, Bahadar, and Nazir are considered “good Taliban” by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan. The US military has been lobbying Pakistan to take on the Haqqani Network, but has recently eased the pressure after recognizing that the Pakistani government has no interest in tackling the al Qaeda-linked group.
8 Comments
have read about the Haqqani Network.. shocking and scary how these things work.
I’m curious as to the reasons behind the recent increase in strikes. Although it’s likely a combination of factors, is the recent increase in drone strikes an attempt to keep the pressure up while the focus moves to floods? (The NYTimes had an article last night on how the floods are affecting the Pakistani military’s operations against militants.)
I don’t know the actual situation on the ground, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were so many terrorists to shoot at in NW that it is like stepping on roaches running for cover.
It’s about 5000km long (afghan border lenght) Put 4 soldiers every 2km along the border well equip with air support, let no one in or out with out screening. Then poor 1 million soldiers in the country advancing strategically tighning the noose while advancing, you kill the regional so call boss who enslave people for centuries in the opium fields kill their sons too (pass a message) kill men with guns who look like taliban, kill suspects, destroy opium fields, destroy all guns you find, mountains, plains, cities, search everywhere, you’ll find a lot of money (drug money) arms too and after a year they will thank you for freeing them.
Those Reaper crews have been working overtime.
Bill: “The Shawal area, which is near Miramshah.”
I’m not finding this on any of my maps (though there is a both mountains and a plain called Shawal). Any clues?
I’m presuming these are to the west or southwest of Miramashah close to the border i.e. rather different direction from the Datta Khel district attacks to the NW of Miramshah.
KP, I think Bill answered your question above in his other story about 4 killed in Second Predator strike in Pakistan today.
Mr. T, is correct, I commented on the wrong Pred strike post, will do so again here:
kp, I found a report from a few years back, it is a 15 mile square area that overlooks Miramshah. The reporter talked about how they could see Miramshah from the rooftop.
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As an aside I have heard this area called the “Shawal district” but that is incorrect, it really is what is called a “tehsil” which is a sub-division or sub-district.
One big problem is the lack of good maps, very frustrating.