Taliban and Pakistani Military Meet In North Waziristan - 12 Taliban and 4 Security Personnel Dead

Twelve Taliban are dead in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region so the day is starting out well for the whole world.

I gotta give the Pakistanis at least a little credit for continuing the operations in this bee's hive of Taliban jihadis.

The story comes from DAWN.

12 suspected militants, four soldiers killed in North Waziristan clash


DERA KHAN: At least 12 suspected militants and four security personnel were killed in an exchange of fire in Data Khel area of North Waziristan tribal region, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement.

The statement added that the militants fled from the scene leaving behind the bodies of three of their colleagues.

The details could not be independently verified.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws which is situated along the Pak-Afghan border and is rife with Taliban militant activity.

The Pakistan Army launched Zarb-i-Azb, a comprehensive operation in North Waziristan tribal region last summer to drive out Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist militants who launch attacks on government and civilian targets, a week after the brazen insurgent attack on the country's busiest airport in Karachi.

Read: Preliminary phase of Shawal operation successful: army

Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, visited troops on Friday and said the initial phase around the surrounding peaks of the Shawal Valley was successful and it was now time to begin a final push into the lower areas.

“We will not stop unless we achieve our end objective of a terror-free Pakistan,” he said.

The tribal region, which borders with Afghanistan, has been used as a base by militants over the years. According to the ISPR, troops have been deployed along its border with neighbouring agencies to block any movement of terrorists in and out of the region.

Many militants have fled to other parts of Pakistan, and some into Afghanistan, complicating the US-backed Kabul government's fight against its own Taliban insurgency.

Pakistani Air Strikes Kill 20 Taliban

Well, it's been a year since Pakistan tried to drive the Taliban out of North Waziristan.  Yesterday, Pakistani air strikes bombed 20 Taliban into virginland but what's another 20 when over 2,500 have been killed in a year and yet the Taliban are still entrenched?

The story comes from Times of India.

Air strikes kill 20 suspected militants in Pakistan: Military


ISLAMABAD: Air strikes killed 20 suspected militants in the restive northwest of Pakistan on Saturday, the military said, as it marked the one-year anniversary of an anti-Taliban offensive in the area.

The air strikes took place around Datta Khel in North Waziristan, the military said in a statement.

The mountainous region along the Afghan border used to be a key Taliban stronghold, with insurgents controlling all the major urban centres.

But one year ago, as Nato prepared for the complete withdrawal of combat troops from Afghanistan, the Pakistani military launched a long-awaited push to clear militant havens on the Pakistani side of the border, in a campaign known as 'Zarb-e-Azb'.

"So far, 2,763 terrorists killed, 837 hideouts destroyed. 253 tons (of) explosive recovered," military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa said in a tweet. He said 347 officers and soldiers had also been killed.

It is unclear how many civilians have died or how reliable the casualty figures are. The military controls access to the area and journalists are only allowed in on tightly supervised reporting trips.

Nearly one million civilians were displaced by the offensive after the military ordered them to leave their homes ahead of the operation. They have still not been allowed back.

The Pakistani offensive, which followed a failed attempt to hold peace talks between the government and the Taliban, has not prevented militant groups from carrying out attacks.

In December, Taliban fighters attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 134 children. They said it was revenge for the operation.

Jihad 101: Don't Use a Hacksaw On a Mortar Shell

One less Taliban commander exists in the world today.

The story comes from DAWN.

Militant kills self, family in North Waziristan bomb accident


MIRAMSHAH: A militant commander and five family members including a child were killed when a bomb he was tinkering with exploded at his home in northwest Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region, officials said on Wednesday.

Aalim Deen Mehsud, a local commander of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the North Waziristan, was trying to remove explosive material from a mortar shell, triggering the blast, a security official said.

“He was trying to cut the shell with a hand saw and take out the explosives when the explosion occurred, killing himself, four women and a child of his family,” the official told AFP.

Two other children were injured in the blast, the official said.

A local in the village of Talib Jan, where the incident happened, confirmed the deaths.

“Aalim Deen Mehsud and five members of his family have been killed in an explosion at his house,” said Gul Hajjan, a resident of the village which is close to the Afghan border.

Meanwhile, in Peshawar, a planted bomb exploded injuring at least five people near the Sirki Gate area of the northwestern city.

Rescue sources said that a woman was also injured in the assault.

According to the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) personnel, at least half a kilogram of explosive material was used in the bomb.

Peshawar and North Waziristan lie in the northwestern parts of the country with the latter being one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal regions which Washington consider to be a major hub of Taliban and Al Qaeda militants plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan.

The government opened negotiations with the TTP last month in a bid to end a bloody insurgency which has cost thousands of lives and cost the economy tens of billions of dollars.

The process broke down for more than two weeks after militants killed 23 kidnapped soldiers, but later resumed after the Taliban announced a month-long ceasefire.

Pakistani Fighter Jets Continue Pounding of Taliban in Waziristans....30 More Killed

It's a beautiful thing.

The story comes from DAWN.

Jets pound militant hideouts in Waziristan; 30 killed


PESHAWAR: The Army targeted militant hideouts in the border area of South and North Waziristan tribal regions Tuesday in the fourth wave of recent airstrikes that killed at least 30 people.

“The militants had captured a stretch between South Waziristan and North Waziristan and had established training centres where they were also preparing suicide bombers,” said one military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Another security official said at least 30 militants had been killed in early morning air strikes.

The latest air strikes took place mainly in the remote Shawal valley and Dattakhel areas of North Waziristan, said to be sites of militant training facilities and compounds.

It was impossible to verify how many civilians might have been killed or wounded as journalists and independent observers are not allowed to operate freely in the area.

North Waziristan residents have been fleeing the area on the Afghan border in recent days, anticipating a full-scale military offensive, leaving homes, shops and villages behind and settling in safer areas, such as Bannu, a town on the edge of the region.

It was also hard to estimate how many people were fleeing the region. One tribesman, Naqibullah Khan, told Reuters he was scared for his family because of persistent rumours that the army would soon launch a full-scale offensive.

“Every day heavy arms and ammunition are being shifted to Waziristan and then war planes bomb villages,” Khan said by telephone from Bannu. Two-thirds of the population of his village in the Mir Ali area had fled, he said.

“We were hearing that the government would soon launch a big military operation in Waziristan.” Another tribesman, Gul Jabbar, 48, said by telephone that he had left his shop and home behind in a village after it was hit by fighter jets last week.

“The government is doing nothing to help the people leaving their villages or helping them find accommodation in Bannu,” he said.

Pakistani fighter jets have been pounding targets in the region since the government's efforts to engage Taliban insurgents in peace negotiations broke down this month.

Pakistan Sends Helicopter Gunships Into North Waziristan

 Military gunship helicopters shelled suspected militant hideouts in several areas of Mirali in North Waziristan region, killing two persons and wounding several others. — File Photo by AP

I've noticed that when the Taliban start assassinating political officials and leaders, that the Pakistani government tends to respond with force.   Just sayin'.

The story comes from DAWN.

Gunship helicopters pound militant hideouts in Waziristan



PESHAWAR: At least two persons were killed in a blitz carried out by Pakistan's military in Mirali area of North Waziristan tribal region whereas three men, reportedly associated with the Awami National Party (ANP), were gunned down in Badhbher area of Peshawar.

Military gunship helicopters shelled suspected militant hideouts in several areas of Mirali in North Waziristan region, killing two persons and wounding several others.

The identities of the victims and the number of casualties could not be independently verified as the access of media is restricted in the region.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws. An extremist insurgency led by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) plagues the region and the area is known to be infested with militants, including those from Al Qaeda and other armed extremist organisations.

The region, which lies along the Pak-Afghan border, also comes under attacks from US drones frequently which target militant hideouts in the area.

Pakistani Government Responds To Taliban Attacks....Fighter Jets Hit North Waziristan, 24 Taliban Killed

The Pakistani government had to do something to save any kind of face what with daily bombings by the Taliban going on for the past week so they sent some fighter jets to North Waziristan and hit some of the hundreds of jihadi compounds there.  Yeah, it was for a show and yeah, it will more than likely end in a couple of days.

The cycle will just keep going on....the Taliban rise up to show the Pakistani government that they can strike any time they want, the government sits on their hands until the people scream loud enough then they conduct a couple of military missions to remind the Taliban that they can hurt them and then there is some quiet for a month and then....yep, start the cycle all over again.

The story comes from DAWN.

Jets pound suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan


PESHAWAR: Pakistan military's fighter jets pounded several suspected militant hideouts in Mir Ali area of the North Waziristan tribal region, killing at least 24 people and wounding 15 others, DawnNews quoted military sources as saying.

The air strikes took place as domestic pressure grew on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take tougher action against Taliban militants following a string of attacks across the country in the past week.

“This hadn't been planned before, and Pakistan Air Force jets were called to hit hideouts of the militants involved in attacks on security forces,” said one military official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Tribal elder Malik Jan Mohammad in Mir Ali said 15 people were killed whereas a Taliban source put the death toll at 27, including civilians.

Military sources said fighter jets were only targeting militant hideouts. Residents said the bombardment started overnight without any warning.

“We were all asleep when the planes started bombing the village,” said Khyal Zaman, a tribesman from Esori village in Mir Ali. “We had no idea what happened in the dark and those who survived came out of their homes in desperation along with children and started walking away into the open.”

The army was not immediately available for a comment.

Fear and panic gripped the areas struck by the overnight blitz which flattened several houses, following which gunship helicopters conducted fresh strikes in the morning causing locals to flee the volatile area for safer places, according to the DawnNews report.

The localities where the military strikes were conducted included Hamzoni village, Mohammadkhel village of Dattakhel tehsil in North Waziristan, Shera Tala area, Harmaz village, Moski village and other areas of North Waziristan.

Sources said those wounded in the attacks could not be shifted to hospitals for treatment due to a curfew imposed in the area.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws. An extremist insurgency led by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) plagues the region and the area is known to be infested with militants, including those from Al Qaeda and other armed extremist organisations.

The region, which lies along the Pak-Afghan border, also comes under attacks from US drones frequently which target militant hideouts in the area.

Checkpost attacked

A security checkpost was attacked my unknown militants in Tora Wari area of Doaba town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu district on Tuesday.

At least one security man was killed in the attack.

The security source said that the militants fled after the police returned the fire.

Other sources said that the militants also set ablaze the checkpost.

Meanwhile, security forces have launched offensive in Tirah Valley area of Khyber tribal region in which casualties were feared.

Happy Day After Christmas To the Taliban...U.S. Predator Drone Sends 4 Jihadis To Hell In Pakistan

The swift sword has struck once more.

The story comes from http://DAWN.

US drone kills four suspected militants in North Waziristan


MIRAMSHAH: At least four suspected militants were killed when a US drone fired two missiles at a compound near Miramshah, the main town of North Waziristan tribal agency of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, DawnNews reported late Wednesday night.

The attack took place around midnight in Qutab Khel village, five kilometres (three miles) south of Miramshah.

News agency AFP, however, reported three deaths.

“A US drone fired two missiles on a militant compound, killing at least three suspected insurgents,” a senior security official told AFP. A security official in Peshawar confirmed the attack and casualties.

Another official in Miramshah put the death toll at four and said a fifth militant was seriously injured.

The identities of those killed in the strike were not immediately known but officials suspect that they were of Afghan origin.

The area residents surrounded the house after the attack and pulled out the bodies, sources said, adding the bodies were charred beyond recognition.

The unmanned aircraft kept flying over the area after the strike that took place at around midnight, they said.

This was the first drone strike in the area during the month.

North Waziristan is one of seven semi-autonomous regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws.

The region is chiefly off-limits to reporters because of security worries and government restrictions due to which reliable casualty figures are difficult to acquire from there.

An extremist insurgency led by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) plagues the region, known to be infested with militants, including those from Al Qaeda and other armed extremist organisations.

Pakistani government criticises drone strikes as a violation of sovereignty and counterproductive to anti-terror efforts. But ties with Washington have nevertheless improved this year after lurching from crisis to crisis in 2011 and 2012.

Last month, a US drone attack on a seminary linked to the feared Haqqani militant network in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest killed at least six people.

The attack, which militant sources said killed the Haqqanis' spiritual leader along with five others, was extremely unusual as it was mounted outside Pakistan's lawless tribal areas on the Afghan border.

Taliban Suicide attack kills five soldiers in North Waziristan

The Taliban have been getting pummeled in the latest military operation in North Waziristan with around 250 Taliban killed in the past week and a half but they got a little revenge today as a car loaded with explosives was set off at a Pakistani checkpoint manned by soldiers and Frontier Corps troops - 5 soldiers were killed with 34 wounded.

The story comes from DAWN.

Suicide attack kills five soldiers in North Waziristan


MIRANSHAH: At least five soldiers were killed and 34 wounded when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a military checkpoint in Pakistan's troubled northwest on Wednesday, security officials said.

The attack came in the Mir Ali area of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region, a hub for Taliban and al Qaeda linked militants on the Afghan border.

A senior security official said that “a truck laden with explosives was rammed into the checkpoint when security officials were offering evening prayers”.

As a result, “five soldiers embraced shahadat (martyrdom)”, the official said.

“The checkpoint has been completely destroyed and 34 injured security personnel have also been recovered,” he said, revising an earlier toll of 4 people dead and 25 injured.

Another security official confirmed the toll, adding that out of the 34 injured, 28 were soldiers and six were from the Frontier Corps, the paramilitary group serving in Pakistan's northwest and tribal areas.

Ansarul Mujahideen, a little-known militant group linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) faction claimed the responsibility hours after the attack.

While speaking to Dawn.com, Abu Baseer, the spokesman for the group, said they carried out the attack as an act of revenge for the killing of former TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud.

“We will continue such attacks in future as drones continue to kill our people,” he said.

The umbrella TTP faction and al-Qaeda linked militants have led a bloody campaign against the Pakistani state in recent years, carrying out hundreds of attacks on security forces and government targets, concentrated largely in the northwest.

It's On In North Waziristan As Pakistani Military Forces Take Out 10 More Uzbek Taliban

The Pakistani military has racked up 33 dead Taliban in North Waziristan over the past two days and today's tally of 10 dead showed all of the jihadis killed to be Uzbek nationals fighting for the Taliban.

I doubt that the Pakistani troops will stay in North Waziristan long - between it being a very dangerous place and a bargaining chip for later on, the military always whimps out in regards to North Waziristan.

The story comes from DAWN.

Security forces kill 10 more militants in North Waziristan



MIRAMSHAH: Pakistani security forces Thursday claim to have killed 10 more militants mostly Uzbek nationals, following last night’s clashes that left 23 terrorists dead in North Waziristan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan.

According to an ISPR statement, security forces launched a search operation upon ‘confirmed intelligence reports’ that the militants were planning to attack the troops with IED-laden vehicles, killing 10 militants in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan.

Most of the militants killed in the afternoon’s operation were reportedly Uzbek nationals, it added.

Eariler on Wednesday night, 23 militants were killed in exchange of fire with security forces in North Waziristan.

The clash followed a suicide attack on a military checkpoint which killed at least five soldiers and wounded 34 others. The attack had taken place while the security men were offering prayer in a mosque at the post.

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson, talking to Dawn.com, claimed that the militant group was behind the suicide attack and that it was carried out to avenge ex-TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud's death.

North Waziristan, one of the seven tribal districts along the Afghan border, is a hotbed for al Qaeda and Taliban militants.

The TTP has led a bloody campaign against the Pakistani state in recent years, carrying out hundreds of attacks on security forces and government targets, mainly in the country's northwest.

A Special Thanksgiving As U.S. Drones Send 3 Pakistani Jihadis To Hell

The perfect Thanksgiving:  a perfectly cooked turkey, the Packers getting their asses handed to them, and three jihadis in NW Pakistan get American hellfire missiles up their asses.

Pie,anyone?  :)

The story comes from DAWN.

Three suspected militants killed in North Waziristan drone attack


MIRAMASHAH: At least three suspected militants were reported killed and several others injured when two missiles were fired by a US drone on a compound in Angar Kalli area near Miramshah Tehsil in North Waziristan Agency on Thursday night, intelligence and local sources told Dawn.com.

The identity of the militants could not be ascertained as the drone strike was carried out at 12 am.

The sources said that drones had been hovering over the area for hours.

Earlier on Nov 21, a US drone strike in the Tal area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu district had killed at least six people, including a senior member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network, and injured another.

The attack had come a day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz said the US had assured Pakistan of not conducting drone strikes targeting the leaders of TTP if dialogue began between them and the Pakistani government.

Taliban Bombers Hit NW Pakistan, 5 Dead Including 2 Pakistani Soldiers

From DAWN.

Explosions in N. Waziristan, Kurram kill five, injure six


NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Two soldiers were killed and five others injured Sunday when a roadside bomb was detonated near a security forces' convoy in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area, DawnNews reported.

According to sources, a remote-controlled bomb, planted along the road near Karamkot in Mirali Tehsil, was detonated when the security forces' convoy was travelling from Miramshah to Mirali. Subsequently, two soldiers were killed on the spot whereas five others were injured.

The injured persons were taken to Miramshah Hospital and later shifted to Bannu.

Following the attack, security forces’ personnel cordoned off the area and a search operation went underway.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws. An extremist insurgency led by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) plagues the region and the area is known to be infested with militants, including those from Al Qaeda and other armed extremist organisations.

The region also comes under attacks from US drones frequently which target militant hideouts in the area.

Explosions in Upper Kurram Agency kill three, injure one

At least three people, including two students, were killed and one other injured today in two separate explosions that took place in Upper Kurram Agency, DawnNews reported.

According to the political administration of the area, a roadside bomb was detonated near a car in the Shablan area of Upper Kurram Agency. Subsequently, two people were killed whereas one person sustained injuries.

The second explosion occurred in the Dal area of Upper Kurram Agency, killing one person.

Following the explosions, the political administration cordoned off the area and a probe into the incident went underway.

Kurram Agency, which is close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, is one of the seven regions in FATA, governed by tribal laws.

Separately, a police official was killed when unknown motorcylists opened fire on him within the remit of the Bannu Township police station.

Meanwhile, a roadside-bomb was defused near Karam Kot on the Miramshah-Mirali road.

PAYDIRT! Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud killed in drone attack

Finally.  We can all finally celebrate the fact that the head of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud has been killed by an American drone strike on his vehicle - this guy has dodged more bullets and hellfires than you can shake a stick at but one of his own must have finally given him up and contacted American intelligence because as Mehsud left a meeting at a mosque in North Waziristan, his vehicle caught the brunt of American-made hellfires and he's dead.  Dead and gone.  And the world is a better place today.

The story comes from DAWN.

Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud killed in drone attack


PESHAWAR/KARACHI: Hakimullah Mehsud, chief of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was killed in a US drone strike in the North Waziristan tribal region on Friday, intelligence officials and the Pakistani Taliban said.

Intelligence officials said the Pakistani Taliban supremo was leaving a meeting at a mosque in Dande Darpakhel area of North Waziristan when the drone targeted the vehicle he was travelling in.

Drones continued to fly over North Waziristan on Saturday. Witnesses in the towns of Mir Ali and Miramshah reported that Mehsud's supporters were firing at them in anger.

Pakistani Taliban militants said funerals for the TTP chief and other militants killed in the drone strike were held on Saturday in various parts of North Waziristan.

They further said that a meeting of the Taliban central shura (council) was underway at an undisclosed location to decide over the next leader of the militant organisation adding that their decision in this regards was expected to be made today.

Five militants, including Abdullah Bahar Mehsud and Tariq Mehsud, both key commanders and close aides of the TTP chief, were also killed with two others injured in the drone strike, multiple sources confirmed.

Some of the sources said that a cousin and a paternal uncle of the proscribed organisation's chief were among those killed in the drone strike.

Taliban sources told Dawn.com that Hakimullah was shifted to a hospital in the wake of the drone attack but succumbed to his injuries on the way.

In the first eyewitness account of his death, a Taliban fighter said on Saturday that leader Hakimullah Mehsud's body was “damaged but recognisable” after a US drone strike hit his vehicle,

Locals said the drones had been carrying out low flights in various parts of North Waziristan since Friday morning.

The area of Dande Darpakhel is located five kilometres (three miles) north of Miramshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region, and is said to be a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban.

Friday's strike came nearly a day after three insurgents were killed in another drone attack that also targeted a militant compound near Miramshah. The US unmanned plane was still flying in the area after the attack.

Hakimullah Mehsud: A brief profile

Mehsud has been reported dead several times before. But late on Friday, his death in the drone strike in the North Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan was confirmed by several intelligence, army and militant sources across the country. Moreover, the Associated Press also quoted a senior US intelligence official as confirming the strike, saying the US received positive confirmation Friday morning that Mehsud had been killed.

Who will succeed Hakimullah

The South Waziristan Taliban chief, Khan Said Sajna alias Khalid, is likely to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud as TTP chief.

Chief of Mohmand Taliban Umar Khalid Khurasani is also a strong contender for the slot as he is the only surviving senior Taliban commander who had directly commanded operations under Hakimullah.

Mullah Fazlullah, chief of the Swat Taliban, is another senior commander but unlikely to replace the assassinated TTP chief for not belonging to the Mehsud clan.

The Latif Mehsud arrest

Hakimullah's death in the drone attack came weeks after the arrest of TTP No. 2, Latif Mehsud by American forces in Afghanistan last month was made public.

Latif was arrested as he was driving along a main highway sparking a row between Afghan and American officials.

Some quarters dubbed the arrest as an attempt by Afghanistan to gain leverage over Pakistan by cultivating an alliance with the Pakistani Taliban.

Latif was elevated to the position after a US drone strike had killed the Taliban's then second-in-command, Wali-ur-Rehman, was killed in a drone strike in May this year.

Government's reaction

Strongly condemning Friday’s US drone attack in North Waziristan, the Pakistani government reiterated that these strikes are a violation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Foreign Office Spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry in a statement said there was an across the board consensus in Pakistan that these drone strikes must end.

He said the government has consistently maintained that drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications. Such strikes also set dangerous precedents in bilateral relations, he added.

The spokesman said these strikes have a negative impact on the mutual desire of both US and Pakistan to forge a cordial and cooperative relationship and to ensure peace and stability in the region.

Condemning the drone strikes, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said these were aimed at sabotaging efforts to establish peace in the country.

“A delegation was about to be sent for talks to the Taliban tomorrow (Saturday),” the minister said hinting that a "senior militant commander" may have been killed in Friday's strike. Nisar's statement came before public confirmation that the senior militant commander was Hakimullah.

Earlier on Friday, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid had said the Taliban had had “no contact” with the government, a day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said a process to initiate peace talks had begun.

U.S. Predator Drones Send Three Haqqani Network Jihadis In North Waziristan To Hell's Gates

Finally...another drone strike by the U.S. in Pakistan - only the third time in all of September happened yesterday when several hellfire missiles took out three members of the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan, Pakistan.

I guess we should be happy with three drone strikes in September considering that John Kerry felt there should be ZERO.

The story comes from The Long War Journal.

US drones target Haqqani Network in North Waziristan strike


The US killed three Haqqani Network members in a strike today in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. The strike is just the third in Pakistan this month.

The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired a pair of missiles at a compound in the village of Darga Mandi in the Ghulam Khan area of North Waziristan, Pakistani security officials told AFP. The identities of the fighters who were killed have not been disclosed.

Today's strike in Darga Mandi is the second in the village this month, and the third strike in Pakistan in September. On Sept. 5, the US killed four Haqqani Network fighters in a strike in the village. Mullah Sangeen Zadran, a senior Haqqani network leader, is rumored to have been killed in the strike. His death has not been confirmed.

Over the past year, the Haqqani Network has been in the crosshairs of the CIA. The US killed a Haqqani Network leader known as Maulana Akhtar Zadran along with Abu Saif al Jaziri, an al Qaeda military commander from the Lashkar al Zil, in a drone strike in North Waziristan on July 2. And earlier this month, the Taliban confirmed that Badruddin Haqqani, a top leader of the group, was killed in a US drone attack in August 2012.

The Haqqani Network is a powerful Taliban faction that operates in eastern, central, and northern Afghanistan, and is based in North Waziristan in Pakistan. The terror group has close links with al Qaeda, and is supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate. Siraj is the operational commander of the Haqqani Network and leads the Miramshah Shura, one of four major Taliban regional councils. Siraj is also a member of al Qaeda's Shura Majlis, or executive council, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal.

Since 2008, nine top Haqqani Network leaders, including Sirajuddin, have been placed on the US list of terrorists; six of them were designated in 2011. All of them have ties to al Qaeda. Jalaluddin Haqqani, the patriarch of the group, is also a senior Afghan Taliban leader, but has not been added to the list. For more information on the Haqqani Network, see LWJ report, US adds Haqqani Network to list of terror groups.

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 commander Hafiz Gul Bahadar. The Haqqanis and Bahadar's fighters are considered "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan. In June 2012, Bahadar banned polio vaccinations in North Waziristan, in protest against US drone strikes.

The US has launched 22 drone strikes in Pakistan so far this year, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal. The number of strikes in Pakistan has decreased since a peak in 2010, when 117 such attacks were recorded. In 2011, 64 strikes were launched in Pakistan, and in 2012 there were 46 strikes.

The US has targeted al Qaeda's top leaders and its external operations network, as well as the assortment of Taliban and Pakistani jihadist groups operating in the region. The strikes have been confined mostly to North and South Waziristan. Of the 346 strikes recorded since 2004, 329, or 95%, have taken place in the two tribal agencies. But al Qaeda is known to have an extensive network throughout Pakistan.

U.S. Predator Drones Turn Six Jihadis In North Waziristan Into Fine Red Mist

It's been awhile...but as usually is the case, it's the weekend when U.S. predator drones strike into Pakistan and today, a drone fired four hellfires at two different compounds killing either al Qaeda or Taliban (more than likely al Qaeda and a couple of Uzbeks of the Taliban).

Nice.

The story comes from Times of India.

US drone strike kills 6 militants in northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR: At least six militants were killed and four others injured in a US drone strike on two rebel compounds in northwest Pakistan's restive tribal region on Sunday, security officials said.

The drone fired four missile targeting two compounds in Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency, killing six militants and injuring four others.

The reports said that dead militants were of foreign-origin.

The US has not stopped its drone campaign despite repeated protests from Pakistan, which describes the attacks as violation of its sovereignty and counter-productive for the war on terror.

US officials maintain the strikes have eliminated a lot of high-ranking al-Qaida and Taliban militants.

Earlier, US secretary of state John Kerry had hinted towards an end of the drone campaign in the tribal areas of Pakistan, as he said on August 1 that the signature strikes could end "very soon".

This was the first time that a senior US official had indicated that there could be a definitive end to the programme, which the CIA has in the past called an effective counter-terrorism weapon.

U.S. Drones End the Lives of 4 Haqqani Network Jihadis in North Waziristan

The long road of raising Hell on earth came to an end for four Haqqani Network jihadis in North Waziristan, Pakistan yesterday as American predator drones sent a few hellfire missiles up their asses.

Good riddance.

The story comes from The Long War Journal.

US drones kill 4 Haqqani Network fighters in North Waziristan strike


The US killed four suspected Haqqani Network fighters in the second drone strike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan in six days.

The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired a pair of missiles today at a compound in the village of Darga Mandi in the Ghulam Khan area of North Waziristan.

Pakistani intelligence officials told Dawn that the four fighters were members of the Haqqani Network. The identities of the Haqqani Network fighters who were killed have not been disclosed.

The Haqqani Network is a powerful Taliban faction that operates in eastern, central, and northern Afghanistan, and is based in North Waziristan in Pakistan. The terror group has close links with al Qaeda, and is supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate. Siraj is the operational commander of the Haqqani Network and leads the Miramshah Shura, one of four major Taliban regional councils. Siraj is also a member of al Qaeda's Shura Majlis, or executive council, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal.

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 other Taliban groups such as one run by Hafiz Gul Bahadar. The Haqqanis and Bahadar are considered "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan. But the groups shelter and support al Qaeda, the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and a host of other terror groups that attack the Pakistani state. In June 2012, Bahadar banned polio vaccinations in North Waziristan, in protest against US drone strikes.

Since 2008, nine top Haqqani Network leaders, including Sirajuddin, have been placed on the US list of terrorists; six of them were designated in 2011. All of them have ties to al Qaeda. Jalaluddin Haqqani, the patriarch of the group who is also a senior Afghan Taliban leader, has not been added to the list. For more information on the Haqqani Network, see LWJ report, US adds Haqqani Network to list of terror groups.

The US killed a Haqqani Network leader known as Maulana Akhtar Zadran along with Abu Saif al Jaziri, an al Qaeda military commander from the Lashkar al Zil, in a drone strike in North Waziristan on July 2.

Today's strike is the second since Aug. 31, when four members of the Turkistan Islamic Party, an al Qaeda allied jihadist group, were killed in North Waziristan. The US has launched only six strikes in Pakistan since President Barack Obama's speech at the end of May outlining a reduced US counterterrorism role in the world.

Prior to the Aug. 31 strike, the previous drone attack took place on July 28; three al Qaeda military trainers, from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Kuwait, were killed.

Obama has said that the drones, which are currently operated by the CIA, will eventually be turned over to the military, and that the pace of the strikes will be reduced. Even though al Qaeda has expanded its operations in Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Mali, and Egypt, and in North and West Africa, Obama claimed that the terrorist organization has been sufficiently weakened.

The US has launched 20 drone strikes in Pakistan so far this year, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal. The number of strikes in Pakistan has decreased since a peak in 2010, when 117 such attacks were recorded. In 2011, 64 strikes were launched in Pakistan, and in 2012 there were 46 strikes.

The US has targeted al Qaeda's top leaders and its external operations network, as well as the assortment of Taliban and Pakistani jihadist groups operating in the region. The strikes have been confined mostly to North and South Waziristan. Of the 345 strikes recorded since 2004, 328, or 95%, have taken place in the two tribal agencies. But al Qaeda is known to have an extensive network throughout Pakistan.

IED blast in N Waziristan kills nine Army soldiers: ISPR

 Note:  so there's no confusion, these were PAKISTANI soldiers killed.

This was a real bad one - how and why the government and military of Pakistan will consistently put up with this bullshit is beyond me.

But hey, no biggie I guess...you got 9 soldiers coming home in baggies...why don't you sign another peace agreement with the Taliban?

The story comes from DAWN.

IED blast in N Waziristan kills nine Army soldiers: ISPR


PESHAWAR: At least nine soldiers were killed and nine others wounded in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in North Waziristan tribal region's Boya area on Sunday according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) sources.

A convoy of military vehicles was travelling from Datakhel area to Miramshah area when it was struck by a remotely-detonated bomb planted on the roadside in Boya area of North Waziristan tribal region.

At least nine soldiers had died and nine others were wounded in the explosion.

The victims were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital.

A daily curfew is imposed in the area from 4 pm evening till 5am in the morning ensure safe passage for the moveent of military personnel. Militants often used IEDs to target military personnel due to the curfew.

US drone kills four ‘foreign militants’ in North Waziristan

So, Turkmenistan is missing four of its favorite jihadis today as a U.S. drone turned their vehicle into a fireball as they drove through their second home in North Waziristan, Pakistan.  No more planting IEDs to kill American troops, no more raping 10 year old girls, no more shooting polio vaccine workers in the head.

Have a blast in Hell, boys.

The story comes from DAWN.

US drone kills four ‘foreign militants’ in North Waziristan


PESHAWAR/MIRANSHAH: A US drone targeted a vehicle in North Waziristan tribal agency on Saturday, killing four suspected militants said to be of Turkmen origin.

According to local security officials and intelligence sources, the drone fired two missiles around 12:30 pm at a vehicle near a seminary in Hesokhel Musaki village in Mirali, around 40 kilometres east of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan which is said to be a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants.

Multiple sources said four suspected were killed in the missile strike which destroyed the vehicle and severely damaged the walls of the seminary.

Intelligence officials said the four men were identified to be militants from Turkmenistan.

They said the funerals of the four were later offered in Mir Ali Tehsil and their bodies buried at the local graveyard.

Local militant sources said the four foreigners, said to be members of the Islamic Movement Turkmenistan (IMT), were affiliated to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of Taliban militants.

Bahadur is one of the most powerful militant leaders in the North Waziristan border region, and is known to have links with foreign militant groups.

He runs a coalition of various outfits in the tribal agency and is has close relations with the Haqqani group since the Soviet invasion. Reports suggest he is presently responsible for providing logistic support and other facilities to the Haqqani group.

US drone attacks are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, but Washington views them as a vital tool in their fight against Taliban and al Qaeda militants in Pakistan’s semiautonomous tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani government has repeatedly protested against drone strikes as a violation of its sovereignty.

U.S. Drone Strike In North Waziristan Kills 2 Jihadis

Only the 2nd predator drone strike to happen this July happened yesterday in North Waziristan killing 2 Taliban or al Qaeda.  Now, we know there are no shortages of targets in North Waziristan but I believe the Obama administration is trying to be low key due to the new Prime Minister in Pakistan as well as Obama's admission that he would reduce the total number of drone strikes, so I think it is a pretty safe bet that these two dead jihadis were big fish.

Stay tuned until we find out just who these guys were - like I say, I think we are going to be very happy we invested the money in these two hellfire missiles.

The story comes from The Long War Journal.

2 'militants' killed in US drone strike in Pakistan


The US killed two "militants" in an area of Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan that is known to host al Qaeda and a variety of Pakistani and regional terror groups.

The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired a pair of missiles at the two militants as they were riding on a motorcycle in the village of Musaki in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, Pakistani intelligence officials told Dawn.

The target of the strike has not been identified, and no senior leaders or operatives of al Qaeda, the Taliban, or other terror groups based in the area are reported to have been killed.

Today's strike is just the second in Pakistan this month. The previous strike, which took place in the Miramshah area of North Waziristan on July 2, killed Abu Saif al Jaziri, an al Qaeda military commander; Maulana Akhtar Zadran, a Haqqani Network officer; and 15 other people.

The Mir Ali area is in the sphere of influence of Abu Kasha al Iraqi, an al Qaeda leader who serves as a key link to the Taliban and supports al Qaeda's external operations network. He is rumored to have been killed in a US drone strike last year, but the report was never confirmed.

Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar and the Haqqani Network also operate in the Mir Ali area. Moreover, Mir Ali is a known hub for al Qaeda's military and external operations councils. Al Qaeda and allied terror groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Islamic Jihad Group, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and a number of Pakistani and Central and South Asian terror groups host or share camps in the area.

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 al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network or Hafiz Gul Bahadar. The Haqqanis and Bahadar and are considered "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

Today's strike is just the third since President Barack Obama's speech at the end of May outlining a reduced US counterterrorism role in the world. Obama said that the drones, which are currently operated by the CIA, will eventually be turned over to the military, and that the pace of the strikes will be reduced. Obama claimed that al Qaeda has been sufficiently weakened, despite the fact that the terrorist organization has expanded its operations in Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Egypt, and in North and West Africa.

The US has launched 17 drone strikes in Pakistan so far this year, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal. The number of strikes in Pakistan has decreased since a peak in 2010, when 117 such attacks were recorded. In 2011, 64 strikes were launched in Pakistan, and in 2012 there were 46 strikes.

The US has targeted al Qaeda's top leaders and its external operations network, as well as the assortment of Taliban and Pakistani jihadist groups operating in the region. The strikes have been confined mostly to North and South Waziristan. Of the 342 strikes recorded since 2004, 325, or 95%, have taken place in the two tribal agencies.

U.S. Gives New Pakistani Prime Minister the Finger....Predator Drone Strike Kills Six Jihadis

In case you haven't heard, Pakistan has a new Prime Minister.  One of his first declarations was that Pakistan would forbid any predator drone strikes.  Last night, American drones flew over North Waziristan and showered the night with hellfire missiles killing six Taliban/Al Qaeda.

Take that Mr. Sharif.  I guess there's NOT a new "Sharif" in town.

The story comes from DAWN.

Six killed in US drone strike in North Waziristan


NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Six suspected militants including “some high value target” have been killed in a US drone strike on a compound in Shawal area of the restive North Waziristan Agency Friday night.

This is first such attack since Nawaz Sharif was sworn in as prime minister this week. In his inaugural address to parliament, Sharif called for an immediate end to US drone strikes on militants, which many view as a breach of Pakistan's sovereignty.

The bombing comes 10 days after a similar US drone attack killed the Pakistani Taliban's second-in-command, Waliur Rehman, and six others in a major blow to the militant group.

President Barack Obama said last month the United States would scale back drone strikes, only using them when a threat was “continuing and imminent”.

Intelligence sources told Dawn.com that the unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at a compound in Mangroati village in Shawal Tehsil of the North Waziristan Agency situated on Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The area is considered a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda linked militants.

About the possible high value target hit in the strike, the sources said that information is being collected but the identity of suspected militants is yet to be ascertained.

Two Bombs Go Off In North Waziristan Market, 5 Dead

Another peaceful start for Islam in Pakistan going into the weekend today as Islamic terrorists set off two bombs in a crowded market in North Waziristan killing 5 people and wounding at least 13.

Allahu is so damn ackbar, ain't he?

The story is from DAWN.

Bomb blasts in Miramshah kill five; injure 13


PESHAWAR: At least five people were killed and 13 others were injured in two bomb blasts on Friday in Miramshah’s Khwaja Jan market and checkpost in the North Waziristan tribal region, DawnNews reported.

The blasts occurred within an hour of each other. According to initial reports, the first bomb was planted on a motorcycle and it was detonated using a remote-controlled device. However, the exact nature of the second explosion is yet to be confirmed.

The injured were shifted to the agency headquarters hospital in Miramshah. The security forces cordoned off the area and started their investigation.