Click to view image: '4a9fddfdefce-kandahar_airfield14.jpg'
An armed predator drone getting ready to take off from Kandahar Airfield

September 6, 2010

US Predators conducted the fourth strike in Pakistan in four days in a region that is a known hub for al Qaeda's top leadership.

Unmanned Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired two missiles today at a vehicle in the village of Khar Qamar in the Datta Khel region in North Waziristan. Five "rebels" were killed in the strike, Pakistani intelligence officials told Dawn.

Datta Khel is the stronghold of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, a Taliban commander who is viewed as "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military as he does not advocate attacks on the Pakistani state. Bahadar supports attacks in Afghanistan and shelters al Qaeda fighters in tribal areas under his control.

The last three strikes in Pakistan have all taken place in Datta Khel. Nine Taliban fighters, including a commander known as Inayatullah, were killed in a strike on a compound in Datta Khel on Sept. 3. And eight Taliban fighters were killed in a strike on a compound and a vehicle in Datta Khel on Sept. 4.


September 8, 2010

The US killed 18 "militants" in three Predator airstrikes today in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The first strike took place just outside of Miramshah in the town of Danda Darpa Khel. The strike targeted a compound, killing 10 "militants," Pakistani security officials told AFP. The US Predators returned to Danda Darpa Khel and struck again at another compound, killing four more Haqqani Network fighters, according to Dawn.

The village of Danda Darpa Khel is in the sphere of influence of the Haqqani Network, the al Qaeda-linked Taliban group led by mujahedeen commander Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Siraj. 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 seven times since Aug. 20, 2009, and nine times since September 2008.

The other strike took place in the town of Ambor Shaga in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan. Three missiles were fired at a vehicle, killing four more "militants."


September 8, 2010

US Predators struck yet again in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

Six Taliban fighters, including some possibly from Afghanistan, were killed and five more were critically wounded in an attack on a compound in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan.

"Two US drones fired three missiles" at the compound, a Pakistani intelligence official told AFP. "We have reports that six militants were killed."

The Taliban reportedly cordoned off the area and are attempting to recover the dead and wounded from the rubble.


September 9, 2010


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A screen shot from an Islamic Jihad Group video that shows the training of children for jihad.


A senior commander in the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Jihad Group is thought to have been killed in one of four Predator airstrikes carried out yesterday by the US in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The "Uzbek commander" who is known as Qureshi is believed to have been killed in the second of two airstrikes that took place in the Datta Khel area in North Waziristan, according to a report in Adnkronos International. The US also launched two other attacks yesterday on targets on the outskirts of Miramshah, the main town in the tribal agency.

Qureshi "used to receive foreigners especially the Germans in North Waziristan and then train them and resend them to their country of origins," according to AKI.


September 12, 2010

The US has launched yet another airstrike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

Unmanned US Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired two missiles into a compound in the village of Newey Adda village in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan.

"The target was a house said to be used by militants as a compound," a Pakistani security official told AFP. The compound was owned by Muhammad Khalid, according to SAMAA.

Six "militants," a term used by Pakistani officials to describe al Qaeda and Taliban operatives, were reported to have been killed. Among those were said to be two "guests," or foreign members of al Qaeda.


September 14, 2010

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.


September 14, 2010

The US executed yet another Predator strike in Pakistan's lawless tribal agency of North Waziristan today. The strike is the second today and the 11th this month.

Unmanned US Predators, or the more deadly Reapers, fired two missiles at a vehicle in the village of Qutabkhel, which is on the outskirts of Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan.

“A US drone fired two missiles on a vehicle carrying militants outside Miramshah,” a senior Pakistan security official told AFP. "At least four militants were killed in the attack.”


September 14, 2010

The US continued its unprecedented pace of airstrikes inside of Pakistan's Taliban-control tribal agency of North Waziristan, launching its third Predator attack in 24 hours.

Unmanned US Predators, or the more deadly Reapers, fired five missiles at two compounds in the village of Darga Mandi, which is on the outskirts of Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan.

“Several US drones fired seven missiles at two militants compounds early this morning (Wednesday) killing at least five militants,” a senior Pakistani security official told AFP.

Darga Mandi is in the sphere of influence of the Haqqani Network, a Taliban group led by mujahedeen commander Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Siraj. The US has stepped up its attacks against the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan as part of a "hammer-and-anvil" strategy to hit the al Qaeda-linked terror network in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, The Associate Press reported.

The US has killed 20 terrorists in the three strikes over the past 24 hours. Earlier today, US Predators fired three missiles at a compound in the village of of Bushnarai in the Shawal area of North Waziristan. Eleven terrorists, including several "foreigners," a term reserved for al Qaeda operatives, were killed in the attack. In the second strike, four "militants" were killed when Predators hit their vehicle in the village of Qutabkhel.

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 11th since Sept. 1, making September the the most active month since the US began launching strikes in Pakistan in 2004.

With today's strikes, the US has carried out 66 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.

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