U.S. Drone Puts the Hurt On Haqqani Network in Pakistan, 5 Jihadis Killed

We haven't heard much about the Haqqani Network recently...this news out today is welcome as 5 of their jihadis are no longer polluting Mother Earth.

The story comes from Times of India.

Five killed in US drone strike in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: At least five people were killed and three others injured in a US drone strike in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan on Thursday night, media reported.

The US pilotless aircraft fired two missiles at the headquarters of Haqqani network, located in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, a semi-autonomous tribal area along Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Xinhua reported citing Abb Takk News.

The centre was levelled to ground, following the attack and the residents pulled the bodies of the killed people from the debris.

Media reports said that all the five deceased belonged to the Haqqani network who were targeted during a meeting.

The drones kept on hovering over the area before and after the strike, causing panic among local residents.

The attack on the Haqqani network headquarters came a week after Afghan Taliban sources told media that the chief of the Haqqani network Jalaluddin Haqqani died of illness a year ago.

The latest strike is 11th of its kind in tribal areas of Pakistan since the beginning of this year.

So far this year more than 68 people have been killed and many others injured in such strikes in the country.

U.S. Drones Kill 49 Taliban At Afghanistan-Pakistan Border

49 dead Taliban in TWO drone strikes?!!  Now THAT I'd like to see!

I think it's a bit far-fetched but let's just roll with it as it gives us all a warm and fuzzy feeling.

The story comes from DAWN.

US drone strikes target militants on Afghan-Pakistan border

KABUL: US forces have carried out two drone strikes targeting militants in part of Afghanistan where the Taliban have clashed with purported supporters of the self-styled Islamic State group, officials said Tuesday.

The Islamic State (IS) group, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, has never formally acknowledged having a presence in Afghanistan but fears are growing that it is making inroads in the country.

The strikes on Monday took place in restive Achin district of Nangarhar province, on the border with Pakistan, where local media have reported battles between Taliban insurgents and IS supporters in recent weeks.

A spokeswoman for the NATO mission in Afghanistan confirmed US forces carried out two “precision strikes... against individuals threatening the force” but did not give details of who was targeted.

Provincial spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai told AFP the strikes killed a total of 49 members of a “new group”.

A spokesman for the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghan spy agency, claimed the IS group's “number two” commander in Afghanistan was killed in an air strike in Achin, though he did not specify whether it was a drone strike.

However IS has not announced its presence or identified its commanders in Afghanistan and there was no confirmation of the NDS's claim.

Afghan officials say IS's presence in the country is so far limited to small groups and factions that have split from the Taliban. The extent of their links to the group's operations in Syria and Iraq, and the extent of the support they receive, is extremely unclear.

IS grabbed large areas of Syria and Iraq in a brutal campaign but last month the Pentagon said the group's presence in Afghanistan was still “in the initial exploratory phase”.

But the potential for IS to attract members has clearly not been lost on the Taliban, who last month warned the Middle East group's leader against waging a parallel insurgency in Afghanistan.

In February, a NATO drone strike killed Mullah Abdul Rauf Khadim, a former Taliban commander and Guantanamo detainee with suspected links to IS, in the volatile southern province of Helmand.

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.

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.

Pakistani Army Demonstrates Technology To Shoot Down U.S. Drones

Let me see if I have this straight - the last time that the United States of America threatened to cut off financial aid to the country of Pakistan, the government of Pakistan nearly lost their minds....yet now, with the blessings of that same Pakistani government, their army is preparing more and better ways to shoot down U.S. drones?  I'd like to remind the Pakistani government that those U.S. drones kill Taliban and al Qaeda jihadis who kill Pakistani ARMY TROOPS.

Nuts.  Just plain nuts.

The story comes from Times of India.

Pakistan army shows its anti-drone technology


ISLAMABAD: Amid continued tensions with the US over drone strikes, Pakistan army has successfully shot down a "drone" during a military exercise that was watched by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

During the "Azm-e-Nau 4 Exercise" at Bahawalpur in Punjab province yesterday, the army air defence demonstrated its anti-drone technology by successfully bringing down a drone by targeting it with the 35mm Oerlikon guns, The News daily said.

The event also marked the culmination of five-year series of exercises jointly conducted by the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force at firing range in Khairpur Tamewali, about 75 kilometres from international borders.

The drones are an emotional issue in the country and the public opinion has been further divided with the latest strike by a CIA- operated spy plane on Friday that killed Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.

Pakistani politicians, except a few handful, have criticized the strike saying it was deliberately done to scuttle the peace talks with the Taliban.

However, security analysts and former military officers are happy that Pakistan's number one enemy has been killed.

The drone strike had renewed calls from some sections of the political and religious class to shoot down the US operated unmanned plane.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, who arrived at a helipad near the firing range in Cholistan desert, was received by Kayani.

He himself drove an open army jeep to bring the prime minister to the observation post to witness the demonstration by armoured, artillery, air defence and civil aviation formations of the Pakistan Army and firepower by F-16, JF-17 Thunder, F 7P and Mirage aircraft to repel an attack of enemy forces.

Sharif said the government had made its position clear that drone strikes constituted a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, were violative of international humanitarian laws, besides being counter-productive to its efforts for bringing peace and stability in Pakistan and the region.

He also maintained that his government would not take any foreign dictation to determine its national security policies, saying, the days when the country's policies were determined through telephone calls from abroad are gone.

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.

Three Haqqani Network Taliban Get Their Halloween Treat - a U.S. Hellfire Up Their Asses

Trick or Treat, Money or a trip to Hell?  Well, three members of the Haqqani Network in NW Pakistan are going as corpses tonight for Halloween as a U.S. drone emptied its payload of hellfire missiles onto them this morning.

Kind of a "Fright morning" rather than a "Fright Night"...one could say.

(ghoulish laugh)

The story comes from The Long War Journal.

US drone strike kills 3 'militants' in North Waziristan


The US launched its first drone strike in Pakistan in a month. Last night's attack took place in an area of the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan that is administered by the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network.

The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired a pair of missiles at a compound in the village of Zafar in the Miramshah area of the tribal agency, Dawn reported. The strike killed "three suspected militants" and wounded three other people, a Pakistani intelligence official claimed. The identities of those killed and wounded were not disclosed.

Last night's strike was the first in Pakistan since Sept. 30, when US drones killed three "rebels" in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan. After that strike, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement denouncing the US strike and called for the US to bring a halt to the program that targets al Qaeda, the Taliban, and a host of terrorist groups operating in North and South Waziristan. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also publicly called last week for the US to end the strikes, after his meeting with President Barack Obama.

The drone strikes are controversial, as groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused the US of indiscriminately killing civilians in strikes in both Pakistan and Yemen. But in the past week, Pakistan's Ministry of Defence released a report stating that 67 civilians have been killed in drone strikes since the beginning of 2009, and claimed that no civilians have been killed since the beginning of 2012.

The Long War Journal has recorded, based on Pakistani press reports, that at least 2,074 jihadists from al Qaeda, the Taliban, and a host of terror groups operating in North and South Waziristan have been killed in strikes since the beginning of 2009, including some of al Qaeda's top leaders. There have also been 102 reported civilian deaths in drone strikes in Pakistan since the beginning of 2009, with 15 civilians killed since the beginning of 2012. Civilian casualties are difficult to assess as the strikes take place in areas under Taliban control; the figure may be higher than 102.

The US has launched 24 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.

US continues to target the Haqqani Network

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 last month the Taliban confirmed that Badruddin Haqqani, a top leader of the group, was killed in a US drone attack in August 2012.

Most recently, in September, the US killed Mullah Sangeen Zadran, who served as the deputy to Haqqani Network operational commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, in a drone strike in North Waziristan. Mullah Sangeen also served as the Taliban's shadow governor in Paktika province, Afghanistan.

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 and Mullah Sangeen, 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.

US drones kill 2 Shabaab operatives in southern Somalia

There's more than one way to skin a cat ....as they say.  And for Somalia's al Qaeda group, al-Shabaab, there's more than one way to pay for the attack on the mall in Kenya.

On Monday, two al-Shabaab jihadis saw their last glimpse of life as American hellfires descended upon them...fired from a drone high above.  I'd say "rest in peace" but it wouldn't be sincere and it certainly wouldn't be accurate.  Welcome to the Gates of Hell would be both more appropriate and more accurate.

The story comes from The Long War Journal.

US drones kill 2 Shabaab operatives in southern Somalia


The US killed two Shabaab operatives, including a senior explosives expert, in a drone strike that targeted a vehicle in southern Somalia today.

The remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired three missiles at a car as it traveled in the town of Jilib, about 50 miles north of Kismayo, Voice of America reported.

One of the two Shabaab operatives killed was Anta Anta. He was described as "the mastermind of al Shabab's suicide missions," according to VOA. He was involved in a series of five coordinated suicide attacks in 2008 that targeted the presidential palace, a UN compound, the Ethiopian Consulate in Somaliland, and an intelligence headquarters in Puntland. The identity of the other slain Shabaab operative was not disclosed.

The drone strike in Jilib was likely launched from a US base in Arba Minch in Ethiopia. The existence of the base was revealed in 2011.

Although it formally joined al Qaeda in early 2012, Shabaab has been closely tied to the global jihadist group for many years. Top al Qaeda operatives, including several who were indicted for their roles in the 1998 bombings at the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, have served in senior leadership positions in Shabaab.

Second raid by US in Somalia this month

Today's drone strike is the second reported raid targeting a top Shabaab leader in the past month. On Oct. 5, US Navy SEALs attempted to capture Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir, Shabaab's external operations chief, who is also known as Ikrima. Shabaab forces repelled the raid; the US Department of Defense said that US forces withdrew after concerns over the likelihood of civilian casualties.

Today's drone strike took place just one month after Shabaab forces launched a deadly, Mumbai-like raid on an upscale mall in Nairobi, Kenya, that resulted in the deaths of more than 65 civilians, including Europeans and Americans. Shabaab assault teams executed civilians and controlled the mall for 80 hours before explosions led to the collapse of a section of the four-story mall, which ended the siege.

Shabaab also repelled another raid by foreign special operations forces earlier this year. In January 2013, French commandos launched a failed raid in the town of Bula Marer to free a French intelligence official who had been captured by Shabaab in 2009. Shabaab fighters halted the attack and captured a French commando, who later died in custody. Shabaab released photographs of the captured soldier and weapons and gear seized during the raid, and then executed the French intelligence official.

US has targeted top Shabaab and al Qaeda leaders in Somalia before

The US has targeted top Shabaab leaders in drone and conventional airstrikes in the past. Bilal al Berjawi, a British national of Lebanese descent, was killed in an airstrike in January 2012. Al Berjawi was the senior deputy of Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, the leader of al Qaeda East Africa who also served as a top commander in Shabaab. Fazul was killed by Somali troops at a checkpoint outside Mogadishu in June 2011.

The US also killed Aden Hashi Ayro and Sheikh Muhyadin Omar in an airstrike in the spring of 2008. Before his death, Ayro was the leader of Shabaab.

Fazul and Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, who also commanded al Qaeda East Africa, were also targeted, along with Abu Tala al Sudani, in US airstrikes in 2007 and 2008 during the Ethiopian invasion and occupation of southern Somalia. And Hassan Turki, another senior Shabaab leader who is closely tied to al Qaeda, was targeted in a US strike in 2008.

Nabhan was also the target of a US special forces raid in the Somali town of Barawe in 2009. US commandos killed Nabhan and another terrorist during the raid.

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.

Drone Strike Success! Senior Haqqani Network Leader One of Four Killed Yesterday

It's not that often that I get to report the great news just a day later that one of our drone strikes netted such a big fish but today is the day.  Yesterday I put up the report of the U.S. predator drone strike that killed 4 Haqqani Network jihadis in Pakistan's North Waziristan agency - and then today, I get to report, from the breaking news at The Long War Journal, that a senior leader in the Haqqani Network, a target very high on our list of wantTokills is now deader than a doornail.

Oh, and as icing on the cake - an al Qaeda explosives expert from Egypt is feeding the worms today from the same strike.

Nice.

Real nice.

Mullah Sangeen Zadran, al Qaeda commander reported killed in drone strike

Yesterday's drone strike in the Ghulam Khan area of Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan is reported to have killed Mullah Sangeen Zadran, a senior Haqqani Network leader who is on the US list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists for supporting al Qaeda, as well as an al Qaeda explosives expert from Egypt who is known as Zubir al Muzi.

Pakistani intelligence sources told Reuters that Sangeen is thought to have been among those killed in yesterday's airstrike on a compound that was carried out by the US. Additionally, "a source among insurgents" in the area said that Muzi was also killed in the strike.

US intelligence officials who track al Qaeda in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region told The Long War Journal that they are aware of the reports of the deaths of Sangeen and Muzi, but are waiting for confirmation.

Neither the Haqqani Network nor al Qaeda have released statements confirming or denying the reports of their deaths. Al Qaeda and the Haqqani Network often do not announce the deaths of military commanders.

Sangeen is a senior Haqqani Network leader who is on the US list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists for supporting al Qaeda and who holds a captured a US soldier in Afghanistan. Sangeen serves as the Taliban's shadow governor for Paktika province and is a top aide to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the operational commander of the Haqqani Network.

Muzi, the al Qaeda explosive expert, is a mid-level commander in al Qaeda's Lashkar al Zil, or Shadow Army, a US intelligence official told The Long War Journal. The Lashkar al Zil fields small conventional units in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and also embeds military trainers within Taliban units in both countries. These trainers provide instructions for battling security forces in local insurgencies as well as knowledge, expertise, funding, and resources to conduct local and international attacks.

The US Treasury Department officially acknowledged the existence of this unit when it added one such Pakistan-based trainer and commander of al Qaeda's "paramilitary brigades" to the list of global terrorists in June. [For more information on this unit, see LWJ report, Al Qaeda's paramilitary 'Shadow Army,' from February 2009.]

Sangeen and Muzi are the second pair of Haqqani Network and al Qaeda commanders reported to have been killed in drone strikes this summer. On July 2, a drone strike is said to have killed Abu Saif al Jaziri, a Lashkar al Zil commander, and Maulana Akhtar Zadran, a Haqqani Network officer.

Sangeen is closely allied with al Qaeda

Sangeen has long been a supporter of al Qaeda and has encouraged foreign fighters to wage jihad in Afghanistan. He appeared in several videos released over the past year that called for Turks and Kurds to fight in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

In the past, Sangeen has openly admitted the strong links between the Haqqani Network and al Qaeda. In an interview released in September 2009 by As Sahab, al Qaeda's top media outlet, Sangeen said al Qaeda and the Taliban "are all one and are united by Islam."

"We do not see any difference between Taliban and Al Qaeda, for we all belong to the religion of Islam. Sheikh Osama [bin Laden] has pledged allegiance to Amir Al-Mumineen [the Leader of the Faithful, Mullah Muhammad Omar] and has reassured his leadership again and again. There is no difference between us, for we are united by Islam and the Sharia governs us," Sangeen told As Sahab.

US military officials have told The Long War Journal that Sangeen is considered to be one of the most dangerous operational commanders in eastern Afghanistan. Sangeen has organized numerous assaults on US and Afghan combat outposts in the region, and is currently holding Bowe Bergdahl, the only US soldier captured alive in the Afghan theater.

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.

Israeli Predator Drone Strike In Sinai Kills 4 Jihadis

An Israeli army Heron TP drone, also known locally as the Eitan Photo: AP

When is the last time you saw Holger put up a story about an Israeli drone strike?  Like never?  Yes, never.

This is the first report I have ever run across that could be substantiated where the Israelis actually used a drone to conduct a jihadi killing strike.

And a nice, successful one it was ...killing for Islamic terrorists out in the Sinai.

This is only a hunch on my part but I think the Israelis are dealing with terrorists now who have longer and longer range rockets that can be launched into Israel from greater distances and this is forcing the use of drones - back in the old days, Hamas or Islamic Jihad had to nearly get on top of the Israeli border to have the range to hit population and those rocket crews were easily combatted with attack helicopters and ground forces.

The story comes from The Telegraph.

Four suspected militants killed in Israeli drone strike in Egypt

Although reports of Israeli drone use over Sinai have surfaced in the past, this is the first to come with official acknowledgement.

In a statement on its website, the jihadist Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group confirmed that its militants had been the target of the Friday strike. It listed the name of four fighters who had been killed. They are all identified as Sinai residents.

The group was targeted as they prepared to fire rockets into Israel, said the statement. They said that the mission’s leader had escaped.

Residents report hearing a large explosion around the time of the alleged attack. An Egyptian army spokesman also confirmed that two explosions were heard at around 4:15pm (1415 GMT) in the Al-Ojra area, 3km from the border with Israel.

Security officials said that the attack had taken place with the consent of the Egyptian authorities, Reuters and the Associated Press reported. If true, this level of cooperation would be a departure from that experienced under the rule of President Mohamed Morsi, ousted during a military takeover last month.

The Egyptian military were believed to have grown frustrated at the Islamist president’s inability or unwillingness to crackdown on rising levels of military in the restive border area between Egypt and Israel.

But an Egyptian army spokesman denied that the strike took place with Egyptian consent. "Our borders and airspace are a red line," said Colonel Ahmed Ali in a statement. "They shall never be crossed." Israeli crafts are believed to have entered Egyptian airspace at least six times since 2006.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Ali also described the reported death toll as “inaccurate”, saying that reconnaissance teams combing the area have only found one charred body and a motorcycle.

The strike is believed to be linked to 'security concerns' which prompted the Israeli authorities to close its southernmost airport, Eliat, for two hours on Thursday.

Sinai-based militants have overseen a sharp uptick in violence since Mohamed Morsi’s ouster, escalating attacks in the area. On Wednesday, Egypt’s army reported that it had killed 60 militants in the space of a month, responding to widening “terrorist operations” that “threaten Egyptian national security”.

Successive Egyptian governments have viewed Sinai peninsula as a security threat while ignoring its wider development needs. The region remains an underdeveloped desert, lacking basic services and infrastructure.

U.S. Predator Drone Strike Kills 6 More Al Qaeda In Yemen

I'm convinced that we could kill 20 al Qaeda a day, every single day in Yemen if we wanted to.

The story comes from DAWN.

Drone strike kills six suspected militants in Yemen


ADEN: A US drone killed at least six suspected Al Qaeda militants in southern Yemen on Wednesday, officials said, a day after US and British embassies evacuated some staff because of growing fears of attacks.

It was the fifth strike in less than two weeks and follows warnings of potential attacks by militants that pushed Washington to shut missions across the Middle East, and the United States and Britain to evacuate staff from Yemen.

Witnesses and local officials in the province of Shabwa said the drone fired at least six missiles at two vehicles in a remote area some 70 kilometres north of the provincial capital, Ataq. Both vehicles were destroyed.

Residents who rushed to the scene found only charred bodies, they said.

At least 20 suspected militants have been killed since July 28, when a drone strike killed at least four members of Ansar al-Sharia, a local militant group affiliated to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Aqap), one of the most active branches of the network founded by Osama bin Laden.

Yemen, one of the poorest Arab countries, is one of handful of countries where Washington acknowledges targeting militants with strikes by drone aircraft, although it does not comment publicly on the practice.

US sources have told Reuters that intercepted communication between Osama’s successor as Al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, and the Yemen-based wing was one part of the intelligence behind the alert last week that prompted the closure of the embassies.

Security in Yemen is a global concern. Home to Aqap, considered one of the most aggressive branches of the global militant organisation, it shares a long border with Saudi Arabia, a US ally and the world's top oil exporter.

The US government supports Yemeni forces with funds and logistical support.

Yemeni authorities issued a statement early on Tuesday listing 25 “most wanted terrorists” it said were planning to carry out attacks in the country during the Eidul Fitr holiday this week. They also offered a five million Yemeni riyals ($23,000) for information leading to their capture.

A September11 attack last year killed the US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans in Benghazi.

US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN at the weekend that the recent actions taken to close the embassies showed President Barack Obama's administration had learned lessons from Benghazi.

Hellfires Away! U.S. Drone Strike In Yemen Kills 5 Al Qaeda

Not a bad day hunting when you end up with five dead al Qaeda.

That's worth a thank you and a hat tip.

The story comes from The Long War Journal.

US drones kill 5 AQAP operatives in Yemen

The US launched its third drone strike in Yemen in the past five days, killing five al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in an area in eastern Yemen that is said to be under the control of the terrorist group.

The remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers launched a pair of missiles at a target in the Qatan Valley in Hadramout province today, killing five "al Qaeda militants," and wounding three others, Xinhua reported. Reuters said the missiles struck a car, while Xinhua reported that the strike took place at an "al Qaeda-held site in the Qatan valley" that is "used for training terrorists."

No senior al Qaeda operatives or leaders are reported to have been killed at this time. The identities of the al Qaeda operatives who were killed have not been disclosed.

Hadramout is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden's family, and the province has become an AQAP bastion over the past several years.

In 2012, the US stepped up drone strikes against AQAP in Hadramout. Prior to May 2012, there were zero US drone strikes in the province. From mid-May until the end of 2012, the US launched seven attacks in Hadramout. Seven of the 42 drone strikes in Yemen in 2012, or 17%, have taken place in the province. Today's strike in Hadramout is the first in the province so far this year.

Since losing control of large areas of Abyan and Shabwa, AQAP has spread out into the provinces of Aden, Baydah, Al Jawf, Damar, Hadramout, Hodeida, Ibb, Marib, Saada, and Sana'a. Of the 35 drones strikes recorded by The Long War Journal over the past 12 months, 28 have taken place in the provinces of Aden, Baydah, Al Jawf, Damar, Hadramout, Hodeida, Ibb, Marib, Saada, and Sana'a.

Background on US strikes in Yemen

The US has launched 15 drone strikes in Yemen so far this year, but the pace of the strikes has decreased since last year. In 2012, the US launched 42 drone strikes in Yemen against AQAP and its political front, Ansar al Sharia. The previous year, the US launched 10 drone and air strikes against the al Qaeda affiliate. The strikes are being reduced as the US government is facing increasing international criticism for conducting the attacks in both Yemen and Pakistan.

The US has stepped up attacks in Yemen; today's strike is the third in five days. Two days ago, on July 30, US drones killed three AQAP fighters, including a Saudi operative, in a strike in Shabwa province. The previous strike, on July 27, which is said to have killed six AQAP fighters in the Al Mahfad area in Abyan province, broke a seven-week pause in drone activity in Yemen.

Although six senior AQAP operatives, including the group's deputy emir, Said al Shihri, were killed in strikes in Yemen in 2012, the group's top leadership cadre remains intact. Just two weeks ago, AQAP confirmed that al Shihri, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, was killed; he is thought to have died or to have been seriously wounded following a strike in October 2012.

The US has targeted both senior AQAP operatives who pose a direct threat to the US, and low-level fighters and local commanders who are battling the Yemeni government. This trend was first identified by The Long War Journal in the spring of 2012 [see LWJ report, US drone strike kills 8 AQAP fighters, from May 10, 2012]. Obama administration officials have claimed, however, that the drones are targeting only those AQAP leaders and operatives who pose a direct threat to the US homeland, and not those fighting AQAP's local insurgency against the Yemeni government.

U.S. Predator Drone Strike In Yemen Kills 6 Al Qaeda

After nearly two months, an American drone strike has hit Yemen once again with six al Qaeda jihadis paying the ultimate price.  Yeah, it was a real shame.

The story comes from The Long War Journal.

US launches 1st drone strike in Yemen in 7 weeks

US drones launched the first strike in Yemen in 49 days, killing six "militants" in an attack today on a convoy in a southern town controlled by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers launched missiles at a vehicle carrying AQAP fighters in the Al Mahfad area in the southern province of Abyan, The Associated Press reported.

The exact target of today's strike was not disclosed. Six members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula were killed in the airstrike; three of them were identified but their names have not been disclosed, according to AP. No senior AQAP operatives or leaders are reported to have been killed.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters and leaders have regrouped in the Al Mahfad area after being driven from cities such as Zinjibar, Jaar, Lawdar, and Shaqra during a Yemeni military offensive that began in the spring of 2012 [see Threat Matrix report, AQAP regroups in Abyan province]. AQAP controlled the cities in Abyan, as well as other cities and towns in neighboring Shabwa province, after launching its own offensive in the spring of 2011.

The US has launched two other drone strikes in Al Mahfad. The last attack took place on June 1. Eight militants were reported to have been killed in the strike. The previous attack took place on May 18. Four AQAP fighters were killed when the drones launched missiles against a vehicle carrying grenades and suicide belts.

US expands the location of drone strikes in Yemen

Since losing control of large areas of Abyan and Shabwa, AQAP has spread out into the provinces of Aden, Baydah, Al Jawf, Damar, Hadramout, Hodeida, Ibb, Marib, Saada, and Sana'a. Of the 33 drones strikes recorded by The Long War Journal over the past 12 months, 27 have taken place in the provinces of Aden, Baydah, Al Jawf, Damar, Hadramout, Hodeida, Ibb, Marib, Saada, and Sana'a.

The US has launched 13 drone strikes in Yemen so far this year. The last strike took place on June 9, killing an AQAP commander known as Saleh Hassan Jredan and his brother and four other fighters.

In 2012, the US launched 42 drone strikes in Yemen against AQAP and its political front, Ansar al Sharia. The previous year, the US launched 10 drone and air strikes against the al Qaeda affiliate. The strikes are being reduced as the US government is facing increasing international criticism for conducting the attacks in both Yemen and Pakistan.

Although six senior AQAP operatives, including the group's deputy emir, Said al Shihri, were killed in strikes in Yemen in 2012, the group's top leadership cadre remains intact. Just 12 days ago, AQAP confirmed that al Shihri, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, was killed; he is thought to have died or to have been seriously wounded following a strike in October 2012.

The US has targeted both senior AQAP operatives who pose a direct threat to the US, and low-level fighters and local commanders who are battling the Yemeni government. This trend was first identified by The Long War Journal in the spring of 2012 [see LWJ report, US drone strike kills 8 AQAP fighters, from May 10, 2012]. Obama administration officials have claimed, however, that the drones are targeting only those AQAP leaders and operatives who pose a direct threat to the US homeland, and not those fighting AQAP's local insurgency against the Yemeni government.

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.

First U.S. Drone Strike In Pakistan In a Month Kills Four Haqqani Network Jihadis UPDATE: Reuters Reports 17 JIHADIS KILLED

Once again we have seen a tremendous drought of predator drone strikes in Pakistan conducted by America but that ended today when four Islamic jihadis met their end via some American-made hellfire missiles.

Perhaps the honeymoon is over for the newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister...and hopefully that means that Taliban and al Qaeda jihadis will once again start being stacked up like cord wood.

One can hope.

The story comes from The Long War Journal.

UPDATE:

Reuters is reporting that in this drone strike a MASSIVE total of 17 Haqqani Network jihadis were killed by the American drones - story is at Times of India.

US drones kill 4 Haqqani Network fighters in first strike in Pakistan in nearly a month


The US targeted the Haqqani Network, a Taliban subgroup that is closely tied to al Qaeda, in the first strike in Pakistan in more than three weeks.

The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired four missiles at a compound in the village of Danday Darpa Khel near Miramshah in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan, The Associated Press reported.

Pakistani officials told the news agency that four Haqqani Network members were killed and two more were wounded. The target of the strike has not been disclosed, and no senior Haqqani, Taliban, or al Qaeda commanders are reported to have been killed at this time.

Danday Darpa Khel is a known hub of the Haqqani Network. Two of the group's top leaders have been killed in US drone strikes in the village over the past several years. On Oct. 13, 2011, a strike killed Jan Baz Zadran, a top-level coordinator for the Haqqani Network who has been described as the organization's third in command. Jan Baz was a key deputy to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the operational commander of the terror network.

On Feb. 18, 2010, US drones killed Mohammed Haqqani, one of the 12 sons of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the patriarch of the family. Mohammed served as a military commander for the Haqqani Network.

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 (ISI). Siraj 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 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 al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network or Hafiz Gul Bahadar, another powerful Taliban leader who operates in the tribal agency. 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 second 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 strike today in North Waziristan is the first by the US inside Pakistan in 25 days. The last US strike took place on June 7, when US drones killed six terrorists in a strike in North Waziristan. A "high value target" was reported to have been killed, but was never named. The previous strike, on May 29, killed Mullah Nazir, a top Taliban commander in South Waziristan who was closely allied with al Qaeda.

The US has launched 16 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 340 strikes recorded since 2004, 323, or 95%, have taken place in the two tribal agencies.

US drones kill AQAP commander, 5 fighters in northern Yemen

From The Long War Journal.

US drones kill AQAP commander, 5 fighters in northern Yemen


US drones killed an al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula commander and five fighters in a strike today in northern Yemen near the border with Saudi Arabia.

The remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers launched several missiles at two vehicles traveling in the Al Mahashma area in Al Jawf province, The Associated Press reported.

An AQAP commander known as Saleh Hassan Jredan or Hassan al Saleh Huraydan is reported to have been killed in the airstrike, along with his brother and four other fighters.

US drones have struck AQAP in Al Jawf three other times in the past. Two of the three strikes targeted top AQAP leaders. In September 2011, the US killed Anwar al Awlaki, the American propagandist, ideologue, recruiter, and operational commander, and Samir Khan, an American who ran Inspire Magazine, in an airstrike in the province. Awlaki sheltered at the homes of Islah leaders in Al Jawf before he was killed. And in January 2010, an airstrike targeted Qasim al Raymi, AQAP's top military commander. He and other senior AQAP officials survived the strike.

The last US drone attack in Al Jawf took place on Jan. 22; the US killed four AQAP fighters in a strike on a vehicle as it was leaving a training camp in the desert in the province.

US expands drone strikes in Yemen

Since losing control of large areas of Abyan and Shabwa, AQAP has spread out into the provinces of Aden, Baydah, Al Jawf, Damar, Hadramout, Hodeida, Ibb, Marib, Saada, and Sana'a. Of the 32 drones strikes recorded by The Long War Journal over the past 11 months, 27 have taken place in the provinces of Aden, Baydah, Al Jawf, Damar, Hadramout, Hodeida, Ibb, Marib, Saada, and Sana'a.

The US has launched 12 drone strikes in Yemen so far this year. The last strike took place on June 1; the drone targeted a convoy of pickup trucks carrying AQAP fighters in the Al Mahfad area in the southern province of Abyan. Eight AQAP fighters were killed as missiles slammed into their trucks.

In 2012, the US launched 42 drone strikes in Yemen against AQAP and its political front, Ansar al Sharia. The previous year, the US launched 10 drone and air strikes against the al Qaeda affiliate.

Although five senior AQAP operatives were killed in strikes in Yemen in 2012, the group's top leadership cadre remains intact. In January, the Yemeni government claimed that Said al Shihri, the deputy emir of AQAP, died following an attack last fall; AQAP has not confirmed his death, however, and recently released a statement that hinted he may be alive.

The US has targeted both senior AQAP operatives who pose a direct threat to the US, and low-level fighters and local commanders who are battling the Yemeni government. This trend was first identified by The Long War Journal in the spring of 2012 [see LWJ report, US drone strike kills 8 AQAP fighters, from May 10, 2012]. Obama administration officials have claimed, however, that the drones are targeting only those AQAP leaders and operatives who pose a direct threat to the US homeland, and not those fighting AQAP's local insurgency against the Yemeni government.

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.