You've all seen the old cartoon where, in the afterlife, the frantic guy tells a bunch of new jihadi arrivals that they are running out of virgins... well, in the past few months, it appears that Pakistan might be running out of available soil to bury all the Taliban and al Qaeda killed in U.S. predator airstrikes.
Today, two American UAV airstrikes in North Waziristan killed eight Taliban jihadis and just yesterday, eleven al Qaeda and Taliban were killed in the same general area. Here's the details from The Long War Journal:
At this point in time, I have to believe that the Taliban simply can't get out of North Waziristan - if they could, they would have to be moving because they are simply being slaughtered there by American UAV's. It's not like we've got them bottled up in a small area but I don't think any of these clowns wants to head back into Afghanistan right now after the operations by U.S. Marines in southern Helmand and the Pakistani military has efficiently gutted out several neighboring provinces and agencies - so, while the Taliban aren't exactly cornered in North Waziristan, the escape possibilities just aren't there.
If only the Pakistanis would embark on their own version of a Tora Bora bombing campaign...I think in that scenario we would be seeing a death toll of Taliban and al Qaeda approaching 1000...pardon me, a little drool here.
Today, two American UAV airstrikes in North Waziristan killed eight Taliban jihadis and just yesterday, eleven al Qaeda and Taliban were killed in the same general area. Here's the details from The Long War Journal:
The US launched two new airstrikes in Pakistan's Taliban controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan, just one day after killing 11 al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in a strike in the same region.
Unmanned US Predators and Reapers struck in the villages of Hamzoni and Datta Khel today, killing eight Taliban fighters.
In the first strike, the US aircraft fired five missiles at two vehicles transporting "militants" in the village of Hamzoni, Gen News reported. Five fighters were reported killed in the attack.
In the second strike, US aircraft fired two missiles at a compound in Datta Khel. Three terrorists were killed in the attack. No senior Taliban or al Qaeda leaders have been reported killed in either attack at this time.
Both strikes took place in regions administered by North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar. Al Qaeda and allied Pakistani and Central Asian jihadi groups shelter in Bahadar's tribal areas, and they also run training camps and safe houses in the region. The Pakistani military has indicated it has no plans to take on Bahadar or the Haqqani Network, a deadly Taliban group that is closely allied with al Qaeda and is also based in North Waziristan.
At this point in time, I have to believe that the Taliban simply can't get out of North Waziristan - if they could, they would have to be moving because they are simply being slaughtered there by American UAV's. It's not like we've got them bottled up in a small area but I don't think any of these clowns wants to head back into Afghanistan right now after the operations by U.S. Marines in southern Helmand and the Pakistani military has efficiently gutted out several neighboring provinces and agencies - so, while the Taliban aren't exactly cornered in North Waziristan, the escape possibilities just aren't there.
If only the Pakistanis would embark on their own version of a Tora Bora bombing campaign...I think in that scenario we would be seeing a death toll of Taliban and al Qaeda approaching 1000...pardon me, a little drool here.
US kills eight terrorists in two new airstrikes in North Waziristan
The US launched two new airstrikes in Pakistan's Taliban controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan, just one day after killing 11 al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in a strike in the same region.
Unmanned US Predators and Reapers struck in the villages of Hamzoni and Datta Khel today, killing eight Taliban fighters.
In the first strike, the US aircraft fired five missiles at two vehicles transporting "militants" in the village of Hamzoni, Gen News reported. Five fighters were reported killed in the attack.
In the second strike, US aircraft fired two missiles at a compound in Datta Khel. Three terrorists were killed in the attack. No senior Taliban or al Qaeda leaders have been reported killed in either attack at this time.
Both strikes took place in regions administered by North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar. Al Qaeda and allied Pakistani and Central Asian jihadi groups shelter in Bahadar's tribal areas, and they also run training camps and safe houses in the region. The Pakistani military has indicated it has no plans to take on Bahadar or the Haqqani Network, a deadly Taliban group that is closely allied with al Qaeda and is also based in North Waziristan.
The US has launched three airstrikes inside Pakistan in two days. Yesterday's attack also took place in Datta Khel. Five missiles were fired on a compound, killing 11 terrorists, mostly "Arabs" according to reports.
Arab fighters from al Qaeda were seen establishing a three kilometer cordon around yesterday's attack site in Datta Khel. The large number of Arabs seen around the attack site indicates that a high value target may have been present.
The Arab al Qaeda fighters establishing the cordon after yesterday's strike in Datta Khel could be from the Black Guard, praetorians use to guard al Qaeda's top leaders, including Osama bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, or Sheikh Saeed al Masri. The Arabs also could be from the Lashkar al Zil, or the Shadow Army, al Qaeda's military force.
The two latest strikes put the March total at five. So far this year, the US has carried out 22 strikes in Pakistan; all of them have taken place in North Waziristan. In 2009, the US carried out 53 strikes in Pakistan; and in 2008, the US carried out 36 strikes in the country.
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