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.

Yellow Bellied Pakistani Leaders Suspend State Executions Just a Week Before Al Qaeda Jihadis Are Due To Hang

When your leaders fear Islamic terror, you are in deep shit.

The story comes from Times of India.

(file photo)

Pakistan temporarily halts state executions


ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's government has halted all state executions temporarily, just a week ahead of the planned hangings of several al-Qaida-linked militants.

Information minister Pervaiz Rasheed said on Sunday that the executions were halted until Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari held talks. The minister says Sharif will see Zardari when the latter returns from a trip abroad.

In 2012, Pakistan carried out its first execution since 2008. The previous government had put in place a moratorium on executions.

Some convicts, including members of an al-Qaida linked Pakistani Sunni militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, were scheduled to be hanged next week.

Amnesty International has said Pakistan has more than 8,000 prisoners on death row, most of whom have exhausted the appeals process, and could now be facing execution.

Bin Laden Documents Reveal Pakistan Lousy With Al Qaeda

You know, we've had Joe Biden and some others in Obama's administration walking around for quite awhile now spouting off that there are just a handful of al Qaeda left in the Afghanistan theater....well, perhaps Joe should get his head out of his ass for a few minutes and look at some of the data coming out of the documents found with Osama bin Laden that tell a story of many, many al Qaeda hunkered down in Pakistan.

Either way you look at it - it's disturbing news about the numbers in Pakistan of this bloodthirsty group and shows once more how inept and derelict the Pakistanis have truly been in policing their own grounds.

Here's the story from The Long War Journal.

Bin Laden docs hint at large al Qaeda presence in Pakistan


Two of the 17 documents released by the US government from the large cache seized during the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound indicate that al Qaeda has a much larger footprint in Pakistan than US officials have claimed.

One of the documents is a Dec. 3, 2010 letter to Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan; the letter was written jointly by Atiyah Abd al Rahman, who at the time served as bin Laden's chief of staff, and Abu Yahya al Libi, a top religious leader who is now Ayman al Zawahiri's deputy. In the letter, the two al Qaeda leaders critique Hakeemullah's leadership style and comment further on a "draft" document that Hakeemullah had previously submitted to al Qaeda. In addition, the two al Qaeda leaders admonish Hakeemullah for attempting to give orders to an al Qaeda commander operating in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. [See LWJ report, Bin Laden docs: Al Qaeda asserts authority in letter to Pakistani Taliban leader.]

The al Qaeda commander was identified as Badr Mansoor, who was subsequently killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan in February of this year. Atiyah and Abu Yahya tell Hakeemulah to stop issuing orders to Mansoor and to quit attempting to recruit his men.

"We make it clear to you that the brother Badr (Mansoor) is one of the soldiers of the Qaedat al-Jihad Organization who swore allegiance to Sheikh Osama (bin Laden), is with us, under our command, the Emir of a company of ours," they wrote. "Badr Mansoor and other members of our group are not to be approached to join another organization or to deploy to other locations. Good manners and group work mandate that such a request be presented to his Tanzim (al Qaeda) Emir and superiors," Atiyah and Abu Yahya said.

The statement is significant as it identified Badr Mansoor as a leader of but one "company" of al Qaeda forces operating in Pakistan.

At the time of his death, Mansoor was described as al Qaeda's leader in Pakistan who was closely linked to other Pakistani terror groups. Mansoor was able to funnel in recruits from Pakistani terror groups such as the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, with which he was closely linked.

Mansoor was known to have a large cadre of fighters at his disposal. According to Central Asia Online, Mansoor's company had "more than 2,200 members with 350 hardcore fighters and more than 150 suicide bombers." Mansoor's group is believed to have participated in terror attacks in Pakistan's major cities, including Lahore, Karachi, and Quetta, indicating that its network is not confined to Pakistan's tribal areas.

The US government has consistently estimated the number of al Qaeda leaders and operatives in Pakistan at between 300 and 400. This estimate has remained static since 2010, and does not appear to account for al Qaeda's Pakistani companies.

Other al Qaeda units in Pakistan

Al Qaeda is also known to have several other units in Pakistan besides the Badr Mansoor Group. Ilyas Kashmiri's Brigade 313 is considered one of the most dangerous and effective al Qaeda formations in Pakistan. While the size of Brigade 313 is not known, US intelligence officials told The Long War Journal that it is at least as large as the Badr Mansoor group. Brigade 313's members are recruited from the Laskhar-e-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Jundallah (the Karachi-based, al Qaeda-linked group), and several other Pakistani terror groups. Kashmiri was killed in a US drone strike in South Waziristan in June 2011. Before his death, Kashmiri served as al Qaeda's overall military commander; Mansoor was one of his deputies.

Another known al Qaeda "company" commander operating in Pakistan is Asmatullah Muawiya, a former Jaish-e-Mohammad commander. While the size of Asmatullah's force is not publicly known, a US intelligence official estimated that the group has "several hundred jihadis."

The Qari Zafar Group is another al Qaeda "company" that operates in Pakistan. Named after Qari Mohammad Zafar, a Laskhar-e-Jhangvi leader who also led the Fedayeen-e-Islam and was killed in a US drone strike North Waziristan in February 2010, the group has conducted attacks in Karachi, Islamabad, and in Pakistan's tribal areas. The Qari Zafar Group is thought to have thousands of fighters and supporters in Pakistan.

The alliance between al Qaeda and the numerous Pakistani terror groups allows al Qaeda to maintain what US intelligence officials call a "deep bench" of talent that is available to replace leaders and fighters killed in drone strikes and fighting.

"Al Qaeda is taking advantage of decades of networking in Pakistan, not just in the tribal areas, but in Pakistan proper, to develop a deep bench of leaders and foot soldiers who can be brought into the organization when there are vacancies," a US official told The Long War Journal after Badr Mansoor was killed in February.

That point was demonstrated by the speed with which al Qaeda backfilled Badr Mansoor's position. According to the Pakistani press, al Qaeda swiftly named Farman Shinwari as Mansoor's successor. Like Mansoor, Shinwari has close ties to Pakistani terror groups, and specifically the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

"All of Farman Shinwari's brothers are affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP or Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan) and other militant groups," The News reported. "His elder brother Hazrat Nabi Shinwari, alias Tamanchy Mulla, was a theology teacher in a government-run school in Landikotal. He was leading the TTP in Khyber Agency in 2005 and also used to send militants to Kashmir and Afghanistan. He has remained the head of Harkatul Mujahideen and is nowadays said to be leading his group of TTP men in Waziristan."

The Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM), which operates openly in Pakistan with the support of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, has long supported al Qaeda. Fazl-ur-Rahman Khalil, the leader of HUM, is living in the open in a suburb of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Osama bin Laden consulted Khalil before issuing his infamous fatwa against the US. Khalil's group has been involved in numerous acts of terror in the region, including the hijacking of an Indian airplane, an attack on the US Consulate in Karachi, the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, and a series of terror attacks in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. According to The New York Times, one of bin Laden's most trusted couriers, who was killed during the Abbottabad raid, had phone numbers linking him to the HUM.

Additionally, leaked threat assessments authored by Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) contain further revelations about the relationship between Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and al Qaeda [see LWJ report, Bin Laden's courier tied to Pakistani-backed terror group]. Daniel Pearl was murdered in the home of Saud Memon, who was identified by several members of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Alami (HUMA), an offshoot with close ties to its parent organization, as their "chief financial backer." According to the JTF-GTMO threat assessment for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, he referred to Memon as "al Qaeda's finance chief in Pakistan."

The ties between AQ and HUM are also corroborated by the JTF-GTMO threat assessment for Mohammed Ilyas, a known Pakistani jihadist who served as a recruiter and trainer at a Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Alami camp in Mansehra, Pakistan. A footnote in the report states that HUMA is tied to al Qaeda.

"Kamran Atif, a terrorist who was recently arrested by the Pakistani Crime Investigation Department (CID) Police revealed that HUMA [Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Alami] has links with al Qaeda and that HUMA and AQ are 'in complete contact with each other,'" the footnote said.

Both Ilyas and Atif have been involved multiple terrorist attacks in Pakistan that have also been linked to al Qaeda.

Bin Laden orders movement of hundreds of operatives to Afghanistan

The other document from the 17 publicly released bin Laden files that suggests a substantial al Qaeda presence in Pakistan is a letter from bin Laden dated Oct. 21, 2010 and addressed to Atiyah. In the letter, the al Qaeda emir advises that "hundreds of the brothers" be relocated from North and South Waziristan to Kunar province in Afghanistan in order to avoid drone strikes.

"Note: there is no comparison between the fortification of Kunar and Zabul and Ghazni [provinces]," bin Laden says. "Kunar is more fortified due to its rougher terrain and the many mountains, rivers, and trees and it can accommodate hundreds of the brothers without being spotted by the enemy."

Bin Laden also said, however, that not all of the fighters should leave Waziristan, and that some should remain.

"Regarding the brothers in Waziristan in general, whoever can keep a low profile and take the necessary precautions, should stay in the area and those who cannot do so, their first option is to go to Nuristan in Kunar [sic], Ghazni or Zabul. I am leaning toward getting most of the brothers out of the area," bin Laden said.

Although it is unclear to what extent bin Laden's instructions were followed, ISAF has noted that al Qaeda operatives have been killed and captured in Kunar, Ghazni, and Zabul provinces in 2011.

Al Qaeda's Chief of Operations In Pakistan Had a Meeting With a Hellfire...Help Wanted Ad To Be Run Soon

Al Qaeda's chief of operations in Pakistan is being reported as killed in a predator drone strike in probably North Waziristan.

All of the information is below from The Long War Journal. Keep your fingers crossed that Abu Hafs al Shahri is in 1000 pieces as he enters the Gates of Hell.

Al Qaeda's operations chief for Pakistan reported killed in Predator strike


A terrorist who US officials claimed is al Qaeda's operations chief for Pakistan is thought to have been killed in a recent Predator airstrike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal areas.

The al Qaeda leader was identified as Abu Hafs al Shahri, a Saudi citizen, and is said to play a key role in coordinating al Qaeda operations and attacks in Pakistan with Hakeemullah Mehsud's Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, US officials told Reuters.

One official told the news agency that Shahri was "a contender" to take over some of the duties of Atiyah Abd al Rahman, a top al Qaeda leader who is thought to have been killed in a Predator strike on Aug. 22. Atiyah's death has not been confirmed as al Qaeda has not announced his death [see LWJ report, Al Qaeda releases Ramadan tape by Atiyah Abd al Rahman; and Threat Matrix report, 'Attiya Allah' authors article in latest edition of al Qaeda magazine].

US officials did not state exactly when Shahri was killed, only that he was killed in the past several days. However, there has been only one reported US airstrike in Pakistan's tribal agency since the Aug. 22 strike that reportedly killed Atiyah. The only strike since then took place in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan on Sept. 11. A Haqqani Network commander named Hafeezullah and a "foreigner," a term often used to describe Arabs and other non-Pakistanis, were among four "militants" reported killed.

Al Qaeda has not released a martyrdom statement announcing Shahri's death. It is unclear how US officials determined that he was killed. As North Waziristan is under Taliban control, it is difficult to obtain physical evidence that a terrorist is indeed dead.

One US official described Shahri's death as the latest major blow to the terror network based in Pakistan.

"The loss of their chief of operations in Pakistan, an individual who played a key operational and administrative role for the group, will pose a challenge for (Ayman) Zawahiri," the new emir of al Qaeda, Reuters was told by the official.

It is unclear, however, whether Shahri is even al Qaeda's head of operations in Pakistan or its main liaison to the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. In April, Karachi Islam, an Urdu-language newspaper that supports the Taliban and jihadist groups, reported that Abdul Shakoor Turkistani, the chief of the Turkistan Islamic Party, was given command of al Qaeda's forces in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas after Saif al Adel left the region. Karachi Islam is associated with the Al Rashid Trust, a charity that serves as an al Qaeda front. [see LWJ report, Al Qaeda appoints new leader of forces in Pakistan's tribal areas].

Also, on Aug. 31, the Asia Times identified Turkistani as the head of al Qaeda's operations in the tribal areas and its prime link to the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.

If Shahri is confirmed killed, he would be the second senior al Qaeda leader killed or captured in Pakistan in the past two weeks. On Sept. 5, the Pakistani military announced it captured Younis al Mauritani, who is a member of the terror group's external operations council.

More Than Likely Al Qaeda Suicide Bombers Get Revenge For Pakistani Arrest of al Mauritani, Kill 13 in Double Attack

Two suicide bombers attacked the offices of a security commander in the Pakistani city of Quetta this morning killing 13 people (3 Frontier corps members and 10 civilians) in what appears to be a revenge attack for the arrest of al Qaeda operative Younis al Mauritani just a few days ago.

From the report at The Long War Journal:

A pair of suicide bombers killed 16 people and wounded dozens more in an attack on a senior security official's office in the southern Pakistani city of Quetta.

The first suicide bomber rammed his car packed with explosives into a vehicle outside of the office of the Deputy Inspector General of the Baluchistan Frontier Corps, which is in a high-security zone in the city. The second suicide bomber entered the office and opened fire with an assault rifle. He later detonated his explosive-packed vest, leveling the office and damaging nearby buildings.

Thirteen civilians and three Frontier Corps troopers were killed in the attack, according to GEO News. Thirty more were wounded.

No group has claimed responsibility for the double suicide attack in Quetta. The Pakistani Taliban, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and al Qaeda all have a presence in Quetta. The city is also a stronghold of the Afghan Taliban; its top council is known as the Quetta Shura.

Al Qaeda may be involved in today's double suicide attack. It took place just two days after the Pakistani military announced it arrested Younis al Mauritani, a senior member of al Qaeda's external operations council, and his two aides, Abdul Ghaffar Al Shami and Messara Al Shami. The three al Qaeda operatives were arrested in a suburb of Quetta during a joint operation between the Baluchistan Frontier Corps and the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate.

This is pretty unusual as Quetta has actually been fairly untouched by suicide bombings and other violence when you look at Pakistan as a whole so I am sure this was retribution for the al Mauritani arrest. You've got two bombers, you've got an attack on a security commander's location....well, you've got al Qaeda.

Suicide bombers kill 16 Pakistanis in Quetta


A pair of suicide bombers killed 16 people and wounded dozens more in an attack on a senior security official's office in the southern Pakistani city of Quetta.

The first suicide bomber rammed his car packed with explosives into a vehicle outside of the office of the Deputy Inspector General of the Baluchistan Frontier Corps, which is in a high-security zone in the city. The second suicide bomber entered the office and opened fire with an assault rifle. He later detonated his explosive-packed vest, leveling the office and damaging nearby buildings.

Thirteen civilians and three Frontier Corps troopers were killed in the attack, according to GEO News. Thirty more were wounded.

No group has claimed responsibility for the double suicide attack in Quetta. The Pakistani Taliban, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and al Qaeda all have a presence in Quetta. The city is also a stronghold of the Afghan Taliban; its top council is known as the Quetta Shura.

Al Qaeda may be involved in today's double suicide attack. It took place just two days after the Pakistani military announced it arrested Younis al Mauritani, a senior member of al Qaeda's external operations council, and his two aides, Abdul Ghaffar Al Shami and Messara Al Shami. The three al Qaeda operatives were arrested in a suburb of Quetta during a joint operation between the Baluchistan Frontier Corps and the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate.

Today's suicide attack is the second in Quetta in eight days. On Aug. 31, a suicide bomber killed 11 people in a parking lot outside a Shia mosque. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which is closely allied to the Taliban and al Qaeda, is known to conduct suicide and other attacks on Shias.

Apparently In Pakistan, the Most Dangerous Place To Be Is a Mosque, 11 Killed In Suicide Bombing

Well, if I had to make a wild guess, I'd say that our old friends at al Qaeda were hard at work in Pakistan trying to imitate their initial efforts in Iraq to stir up sectarian civil war between Shias and Sunnis as today a Shia mosque was hit by a suicide bomber in a vehicle loaded with explosives. The death toll today at the mosque in Quetta is at 11.

From the report at The Long War Journal:

A suicide bomber killed 11 people in a parking lot outside a Shia mosque in Quetta, the provincial capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan province. The attack is the latest to take place at a mosque in Pakistan.

The suicide bomber entered a parking lot adjacent to the mosque and attempted to hit the building as worshipers were leaving a service commemorating the end of Ramadan. The bomber detonated in the parking lot after he was unable to reach the mosque, killing 11 people, including two women and a child.

Police said the corpse of the suicide bomber was seen in the wreckage of the car.

"Remains of a badly mutilated body were found in the car. It appears that he was not wearing the explosives on his body but he had planted those in the car and detonated when he could not go beyond the parking lot," Quetta police chief Ahsan Mehboob told AFP.

While no group has claimed credit for the attack, three terror organizations that operate in the area are the primary suspects. The al Qaeda-linked Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is known to carry out suicide attacks against Shia. The Pakistani Jundallah, another group linked to al Qaeda, also conducts suicide attacks and operates in Quetta. And the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which has carried out suicide attacks throughout Pakistan, also operates in Baluchistan.

I think another thing we are seeing in Pakistan is some fringe terror groups who are trying to put their names on the map and with it, try and get on the al Qaeda payroll. I don't know what the funds are like at al Qaeda Corporate right now but a lot of these groups are desperate for some cash and see bombings like this a good chance to join the franchise reimbursement program.

Bottom line is the Pakistanis are getting hit from all angles right now and I have not seen a peep out of the government about any of it. Sooner or later, the general public is gonna have enough of this death and destruction and just may organize against a government that isn't protecting them.

(File photo above)

Suicide bomber kills 11 outside Pakistani mosque


A suicide bomber killed 11 people in a parking lot outside a Shia mosque in Quetta, the provincial capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan province. The attack is the latest to take place at a mosque in Pakistan.

The suicide bomber entered a parking lot adjacent to the mosque and attempted to hit the building as worshipers were leaving a service commemorating the end of Ramadan. The bomber detonated in the parking lot after he was unable to reach the mosque, killing 11 people, including two women and a child.

Police said the corpse of the suicide bomber was seen in the wreckage of the car.

"Remains of a badly mutilated body were found in the car. It appears that he was not wearing the explosives on his body but he had planted those in the car and detonated when he could not go beyond the parking lot," Quetta police chief Ahsan Mehboob told AFP.

While no group has claimed credit for the attack, three terror organizations that operate in the area are the primary suspects. The al Qaeda-linked Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is known to carry out suicide attacks against Shia. The Pakistani Jundallah, another group linked to al Qaeda, also conducts suicide attacks and operates in Quetta. And the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which has carried out suicide attacks throughout Pakistan, also operates in Baluchistan.

Today's suicide attack is the third in Asia to target Muslims as they celebrated the end of Ramadan this year. On Aug. 28, an al Qaeda in Iraq suicide bomber killed 28 people at a mosque in Baghdad. And yesterday, suicide bombers killed nine people as they celebrated the end of Ramadan in the Chechen capital of Grozny.

Taliban and allies target religious sites

Over the past four years, the Taliban and allied Pakistani terror groups have shown no reservations about striking inside mosques and other religious sites, as well as during religious processions and events. There have been 34 major attacks on mosques and other Islamic institutions in Pakistan since December 2007, according to information compiled by The Long War Journal.

One of the most brazen attacks took place on Dec. 4, 2009, when a suicide assault team stormed a mosque frequented by military officers in Rawalpindi. Two senior generals were among the 40 people killed.

Another major attack took place on July 1, 2010, when suicide bombers struck the Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine in Lahore, killing 41 people and wounding more than 170. Three suicide bombers detonated their vests at the shrine at a time when it was most frequented, in an effort to maximize casualties.

The last major attack against religious targets took place on Aug. 19, when a suicide bomber killed more than 40 people and wounded more than 100 in an attack at a mosque in Pakistan's tribal agency of Khyber.

Major attacks at mosques, religious events, and Islamic institutions in Pakistan since December 2007:

Aug. 31, 2011: A suicide bomber detonated in a parked car outside a Quetta mosque, killing 11 people.

Aug. 19, 2011: More than 40 people were killed in a suicide attack at a mosque in Jamrud in the Khyber tribal agency.

April 3, 2011: The Taliban killed 41 people in a double suicide attack on a Sufi shrine in Dera Ghazi Khan.

March 4, 2011: The Taliban killed nine people in a bombing at a mosque in Nowshera.

Jan. 25, 2011: Suicide attacks that targeted Shia religious processions in Lahore and Karachi killed 16 people. The Fedayeen-e-Islam, a subgroup of the Pakistani Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Jaish-e-Mohammed, claimed credit for the Lahore attack.

Nov. 5, 2010: A suicide attack outside a mosque in Darra Adam Khel killed 50 people.

Oct. 25, 2010: Five people were killed when an IED was detonated inside a shrine in Pakpattan.

Oct. 22, 2010: Five people were killed when an IED was detonated inside a mosque in Peshawar.

Oct. 7, 2010: Two suicide bombers killed eight people in a coordinated attack on the Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine in Karachi.

Sept. 3, 2010: A suicide bomber attempted to storm a mosque in Mardan, but was stopped by security guards. One person was killed after he detonated his vest.

Sept. 1, 2010: Suicide bombers detonated during Shia religious processions in Lahore, killing 28 people.

Aug. 23, 2010: A suicide bomber detonated at a mosque in Wana, South Waziristan, killing 18 people.

July 1, 2010: Suicide bombers detonated at the Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine in Lahore, killing 41 people and wounding more than 170.

May 28, 2010: The Punjabi Taliban assaulted two Ahamadi mosques in Lahore, killing more than 70 people.

Dec. 18, 2009: A suicide bomber detonated inside a mosque frequented by policemen in Lower Dir, killing 12.

Dec. 4, 2009: A suicide assault team stormed a mosque in Rawalpindi that is frequented by Army officers, killing 40.

Oct. 20, 2009: A pair of suicide bombers detonated their vests at Islamabad's International Islamic University, killing five.

June 12, 2009: A suicide bomber killed five Pakistanis, including anti-Taliban cleric Dr. Sarfraz Naeemi, in an attack on a mosque in Lahore during Friday prayers.

June 12, 2009: A suicide bomber killed six worshipers and wounded more than 90 in an attack inside a mosque in Nowshera. The attack collapsed the dome of the mosque.

June 5, 2009: A suicide bomber killed 49 worshipers in an attack on a mosque in a remote village in Dir.

April 5, 2009: A suicide bomber killed 24 worshipers and wounded more than 100 in an attack outside a Shia religious center in the Chakwal district in Punjab province.

March 27, 2009: A Taliban suicide bomber killed more than 70 worshipers and wounded more than 125 in an attack at a mosque in the Khyber tribal agency.

March 5, 2009: An attacker threw a hand grenade into the middle of a mosque in Dera Ismail Khan, wounding 25 worshipers.

March 2, 2009: A suicide bomber killed six people during an attack at a gathering in a mosque in the Pishin district in Baluchistan.

Feb. 20, 2008: A suicide bomber killed 32 Pakistanis and wounded more than 85 in an attack on a funeral procession for a Shia elder who was murdered in Dera Ismail Khan.

Feb. 5, 2009: A suicide attack outside a mosque killed more than 30 Shia worshipers and wounded more than 50.

Nov. 22, 2008: A bombing at a mosque in Hangu killed five civilians and wounded seven.

Nov. 21, 2008: A suicide attack on a funeral procession in Dera Ismail Khan killed 10 mourners and wounded more than 25.

Sept. 10, 2008: The Taliban attacked a mosque filled with Ramadan worshipers in the district of Dir in northwestern Pakistan. More than 25 worshipers were killed and more than 50 were wounded.

Aug. 19, 2008: A suicide bomber killed 29 Shia mourners and wounded 35 after detonating in the emergency ward of a hospital.

June 17, 2008: Four Pakistanis were killed and three wounded in a bombing at a Shia mosque in Dera Ismail Khan.

May 19, 2008: Four Pakistanis were killed in a bombing outside a mosque in Bajaur.

Jan. 17, 2008: A suicide bomber killed 10 and wounded 25 in an attack on a Shia mosque in Peshawar.

Dec. 28, 2007: A suicide bomber detonated in the middle of a mosque in Charsadda in an attempt to kill former Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao as he conducted Eid prayers. More than 50 were killed and more than 200 were wounded.

Taliban (More than likely) Send Suicide Bomber Into Pakistan Mosque...40 Killed

A suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque during Friday prayers in the tribal region, killing at least 40 people. — File photo

Yep, you heard that right - a suicide bomber entered a MOSQUE in Khyber, Pakistan and set off his suicide belt killing at least 40 people today. Now, for those of you with short memories, you'll remember the mosque bombings that occurred during the Iraq War conducted by al Qaeda and that is why I'm suspecting this was the Taliban who are using the training and the ops manual from their evil brothers from al Qaeda.

From the story at DAWN:

Forty people were killed in a mosque bombing in northwest Pakistan, with 85 wounded, a government official said.

Local administrator Fazal Khan said there’s some evidence it was a suicide attack.

Some 300 people were at the mosque for Friday prayers when the bomb exploded in the Ghundi village of Khyber tribal region.

Now, this bombing qualifies as one of the bigger ones to happen in Pakistan in the last few months and Kyber isn't exactly a metropolis. This is all about the Taliban and al Qaeda flexing muscle in the NW region of Pakistan - it's all about the intimidation that I mentioned just the other day.

The message is clear - there is no place safe for anyone from the Taliban in the northwest provinces and agencies in Pakistan and sooner or later, the Pakistani military is going to have to get back off of their asses and go back to work again on the Taliban.

Suicide attack kills 40 in Khyber mosque


PESHAWAR: Forty people were killed in a mosque bombing in northwest Pakistan, with 85 wounded, a government official said.

Local administrator Fazal Khan said there’s some evidence it was a suicide attack.

Some 300 people were at the mosque for Friday prayers when the bomb exploded in the Ghundi village of Khyber tribal region.

Pakistan’s tribal belt is a hotbed of militant activity, as well as sectarian rivalry.

No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the Taliban and other insurgents have attacked scores of targets in the area, which lies along the Afghan border.

You Gotta Be Kidding...Is Al Qaeda's Kashmiri NOT Dead After Drone Attack?

Left: a purported photograph of Ilyas Kashmiri after his death. The picture is actually that of Abu Dera Ismael Khan, a Lashkar-e-Taiba fighter who was a member of the suicide assault team that attacked Mumbai, India, in November 2008. Right: Ilyas Kashmiri before his death.

Here we go again with some possible faulty information coming out of Pakistan (big surprise, huh?)...as some doubts are now arising about the report that one of the biggest fish from al Qaeda in Pakistan, Ilyas Kashmiri, may not have been killed in that predator drone strike last Friday in South Waziristan. The U.S. has NOT yet confirmed his death ...which in itself is not unusual without DNA tests but when al Qaeda went ahead and announced that Kashmiri was "martyred" well.....that seemed to be the defining moment....or was it?

Look at this from the breaking report at The Long War Journal:

Questions are emerging about the validity of a statement released by a Pakistani terror group that claimed its leader, Ilyas Kashmiri, was killed in a US Predator airstrike late last week. A photo purporting to show Kashmiri after his death is actually a picture of a jihadi killed during the Mumbai, India terror assault in November 2008, and discrepancies in the text of the statement have also emerged.

Kashmiri, a senior al Qaeda military commander as well as the leader of Harkat ul Jihad-al-Islami [HUJI] and Brigade 313, is said to have been killed in the June 2 Predator airstrike in the Wana area of South Waziristan. Less than one day after the strike, Abu Hanzla Kashir, a HUJI spokesman, issued a written statement that announced Kashmiri's death, and vowed to attack the US.

"On behalf of Harkat Jihad al-Islami 313 Brigade we confirm the fact that our leader and Commander-in-chief Mohammad Ilyas Kashmiri, along with other companions, have been martyred in an American drone attack at 11:15 pm on June 3, 2011 and Insha Allah (God willing) the present pharaoh America will see our full revenge very soon. Our only target is America," Kashir said, according to a translation of the statement by the SITE Intelligence Group.

But it has been discovered that the photograph, said to depict the slain Kashmiri, is in fact that of Abu Dera Ismael Khan, a Lashkar-e-Taiba fighter who was a member of the suicide assault team that attacked Mumbai, India, in November 2008. Also, the original statement released by HUJI contained misspellings of the terror group's name, Arif Rafiq, the Editor of The Pakistan Policy Blog, told The Long War Journal.

"Though [HUJI is] a Pakistani organization, the group's name is actually in Arabic," Rafiq said. "The group's name is Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami. But the guy who wrote the letter [Abu Hanzla Kashir] misspelled the name in the two instances he used it," Rafiq said. "First, he wrote Harkat-e Jihad al-Islami (grammatically incorrect in both Arabic and Urdu); then, he wrote Harkat-e Jihad-e Islami (grammatically correct in Urdu, both not the official name)."

I have to agree with Bill Roggio on this that something is fishy here - the one thing that makes me uneasy is the fact that this al Qaeda spokesman made the announcement of Kashmiri's death so soon after the drone strike. Typically, when we get a big fish and we or the Pakistanis don't have access to bodies or body parts, it will be about a week to two weeks before the jihadis put up an announcement that their boy got offed.

One other thing I'd like to point out. This strike that supposedly killed Kashmiri happened on Friday. Yesterday, another set of drones hit the same area of Wana in South Waziristan (which I just reported below) - coincidence? I'm wondering now if the CIA got info that we MISSED Kashmiri and went in yesterday and hit a secondary target hoping that is where Kashmiri moved to after the first strike.

That's pure conjecture on my part but I still find it unusual that we would hit the same area within just three days. Hopefully, we all won't have to eat crow about Kashmiri's death but it certainly wouldn't be the first time we were given faulty information coming out of Pakistan.

Questions emerge over HUJI's statement on al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri's death



Questions are emerging about the validity of a statement released by a Pakistani terror group that claimed its leader, Ilyas Kashmiri, was killed in a US Predator airstrike late last week. A photo purporting to show Kashmiri after his death is actually a picture of a jihadi killed during the Mumbai, India terror assault in November 2008, and discrepancies in the text of the statement have also emerged.

Kashmiri, a senior al Qaeda military commander as well as the leader of Harkat ul Jihad-al-Islami [HUJI] and Brigade 313, is said to have been killed in the June 2 Predator airstrike in the Wana area of South Waziristan. Less than one day after the strike, Abu Hanzla Kashir, a HUJI spokesman, issued a written statement that announced Kashmiri's death, and vowed to attack the US.

"On behalf of Harkat Jihad al-Islami 313 Brigade we confirm the fact that our leader and Commander-in-chief Mohammad Ilyas Kashmiri, along with other companions, have been martyred in an American drone attack at 11:15 pm on June 3, 2011 and Insha Allah (God willing) the present pharaoh America will see our full revenge very soon. Our only target is America," Kashir said, according to a translation of the statement by the SITE Intelligence Group.

The statement was then posted on the Shamukh al Islam forum, a website frequented by jihadists close to al Qaeda, along with an image purported to be that of Kashmiri's face after his death.

But it has been discovered that the photograph, said to depict the slain Kashmiri, is in fact that of Abu Dera Ismael Khan, a Lashkar-e-Taiba fighter who was a member of the suicide assault team that attacked Mumbai, India, in November 2008. Also, the original statement released by HUJI contained misspellings of the terror group's name, Arif Rafiq, the Editor of The Pakistan Policy Blog, told The Long War Journal.

"Though [HUJI is] a Pakistani organization, the group's name is actually in Arabic," Rafiq said. "The group's name is Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami. But the guy who wrote the letter [Abu Hanzla Kashir] misspelled the name in the two instances he used it," Rafiq said. "First, he wrote Harkat-e Jihad al-Islami (grammatically incorrect in both Arabic and Urdu); then, he wrote Harkat-e Jihad-e Islami (grammatically correct in Urdu, both not the official name)."

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal said they still could not confirm if Kashmiri was killed in the June 2 strike in South Waziristan. The US intelligence officials said that the discrepancies with the photo and the statement make it difficult to determine whether Kashmiri was actually killed or if he survived the strike.

"We can't go in there; we don't have DNA to test," one official said.

Another US intelligence official said it is possible that the reports of Kashmiri's death may be a part of a "denial and deception" campaign by al Qaeda and HUJI intended to throw the US off the scent of Kashmiri. The official added, however, that Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and allied terror groups have not used martyrdom statements to fake the death of senior leaders in the past.

Several local Taliban leaders, including Mullah Nazir's spokesman, another HUJI leader named Qari Mohammad Idrees, and the Political Agent for South Waziristan, all claimed that Kashmiri was killed, as have unnamed Pakistani intelligence officials.

Kashmiri is one of the most hunted al Qaeda leaders in the Afghan-Pakistan border area. He leads al Qaeda military forces in the region, and is one of three members of al Qaeda's external operations council, which is assigned to directing attacks against the US and Western allies.

For more information on Ilyas Kashmiri and the initial report of his death, see LWJ report, Top al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri killed in US Predator strike.

Pakistani Taliban Suicide Car Bomber Blows the Piss Out of Police Station in Hangu...25 People Killed, Death Toll To Rise

Security personnel gather at the site of a suicide car bomb attack in the town of Hangu. -AFP Photo


Once again we see just how entrenched the ideology of al Qaeda has become in the Pakistani Taliban as a police station in Hangu, Pakistan was hit today by a Taliban suicide bomber and 25 people, mostly police, are dead...but reading the article, this could have been a helluva lot worse if he'd gotten even closer to the building.

From the article at DAWN:

PESHAWAR: A suicide car bomb struck Pakistani police on Thursday, killing 25 people in the second attack in as many days in the northwest as the Taliban vow to avenge the US killing of Osama bin Laden.

“It was a car suicide attack targeting a city police station. The bomber blew up the car at a checkpoint close to the police station,” said police deputy inspector general Masood Khan Afridi.

Regional police spokesman Fazal Naeem said, “(The bomber) wanted to blow up the city police station but he blew up the car close to the barrier outside the station.” Police officials said 25 people were killed and 38 others wounded.

“Most of those killed in the attack are policemen and the death toll may rise, because there are offices and residences of senior police officials and the local administration near the attack site,” said Naeem.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide car bombing, with a spokesman saying it was carried out to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden.

“We accept responsibility for this attack. This was a small attack to avenge Osama’s martyrdom,” spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

And this bullshit about being to "avenge" bin Laden is just that...bullshit. These clowns in the Taliban have become complete minions to al Qaeda and al Qaeda's number one target in every theater they are in is the police. This has squat to do with bin Laden...this is about creating the chaos and murder to prop up the strategies and goals of al Qaeda.

At some point in time, the Pakistanis will reach the point that the Iraqis did with al Qaeda and here, with the Taliban. Personally, I think the Taliban deserve al Qaeda and especially they deserve the justice that will one day come to them....raining down on them...

Suicide car bomb kills 25 in Hangu


PESHAWAR: A suicide car bomb struck Pakistani police on Thursday, killing 25 people in the second attack in as many days in the northwest as the Taliban vow to avenge the US killing of Osama bin Laden.

“It was a car suicide attack targeting a city police station. The bomber blew up the car at a checkpoint close to the police station,” said police deputy inspector general Masood Khan Afridi.

Regional police spokesman Fazal Naeem said, “(The bomber) wanted to blow up the city police station but he blew up the car close to the barrier outside the station.” Police officials said 25 people were killed and 38 others wounded.

“Most of those killed in the attack are policemen and the death toll may rise, because there are offices and residences of senior police officials and the local administration near the attack site,” said Naeem.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide car bombing, with a spokesman saying it was carried out to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden.

“We accept responsibility for this attack. This was a small attack to avenge Osama’s martyrdom,” spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

“Soon you will see bigger attacks. Revenge for Osama can’t be satisfied just with small attacks,” he said.

Failed Taliban Suicide Bomber Sings Like a Bird...Reveals That There's 350 Suicide Bombers Training In N. Waziristan

A Pakistani security official gets information from an injured suicide bomber at the Sakhi Sarwar shrine near Dera Ghazi Khan in Pakistan on Sunday, April 3, 2011. – AP


Well, the story over at DAWN isn't very long but it sure is packed with information as Pakistani security officials have gotten a lot of intel out of one of the Taliban suicide bombers whose vest/belt failed in the attack on the shrine a number of days ago.

And unbelievably, this guy is singing that there are 350 suicide bombers currently (that he knows of) in training in North Waziristan. Now, if you happen to live in the provinces and agencies next to North Waziristan, that's gotta make you lose some sleep.

Here's a bit from the article:

The arrested bomber of the Sakhi Sarwar shrine in Dera Ghazi Khan, apologised to the Pakistani nation on Friday and said that he had been told to bomb the areas of non-Muslims.

During investigations, Omar told officials that there were 350 people receiving suicide bombing training in the militant hideouts of Waziristan. He said that these included Uzbeks, Tajiks, Arabs and Punjabis.

He also disclosed that the second bombing was supposed to take place between the rescue and media teams.

Now, look at that last line from the article above...about the "second bombing"...see the intent? That is al Qaeda. That is the absolute M.O. of an al Qaeda trained and plotted attack...where the first wave of bombing takes place and then when rescue and security and media gets there, the second wave of bombings take place.

This is just further evidence that woven throughout the Taliban is this network of al Qaeda strategy, training and tactics - and along with that comes some of the worst barbarism on the planet.

I'd like to point out to the Pakistani government that if this failed bomber's information is correct and there are indeed 350 just like him in North Waziristan right now, then they better start that North Waziristan clearing operation and damn quick.

Over 300 suicide bombers being trained in Waziristan


ISLAMABAD: The arrested bomber of the Sakhi Sarwar shrine in Dera Ghazi Khan, apologised to the Pakistani nation on Friday and said that he had been told to bomb the areas of non-Muslims.

During investigations, Omar told officials that there were 350 people receiving suicide bombing training in the militant hideouts of Waziristan. He said that these included Uzbeks, Tajiks, Arabs and Punjabis.

Omar said that he used to be blindfolded and taken for training. He said that the in-charge of the camp was Sangeen Khan who used to constantly be away on travel.

He also disclosed that the second bombing was supposed to take place between the rescue and media teams.

Taliban/Al Qaeda Set Off Car Bomb In Pakistan, 32 Dead

Since the Taliban and al Qaeda have seemed to morph into one in Pakistan over the past year, I'll probably just start referring to both of them as the more numerous Taliban but whichever group plotted the latest terror attack in central Pakistan, it was effective as 32 Pakistanis were killed in the car bomb blast.

From the report at DAWN:

A massive bomb blast by militants at a gas station in Faisalabad, a city in Pakistan’s central Punjab province, Tuesday killed at least 32 people and wounded 125 others, DawnNews reported.

The explosion also damaged nearby buildings.

An office of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and a local gas station were severely damaged in the blast, AP reported.

Senior government official Naseem Sadiq said explosives were planted in a vehicle parked at the gas station, which also lies near police offices as well as the PIA building.

Regional police chief Aftab Cheema confirmed the attack in Faisalabad, the country’s textile-making capital.

“It was a car bomb blast. The explosive was planted in a car. We are investigating whether a suicide bomber was involved or not,” Cheema said.

You can see that a whopping 125 were injured by the blast so I'm assuming that death toll is going to rise during the day. This attack does show that nearly any place in Pakistan is vulnerable - the city of Faisalabad has never been attacked before...at least to my recollection. The other thing that this attack shows is how the Taliban simply cannot go more than a week without a major death producing attack - these victims weren't infidels, they weren't U.S. or Pakistani troops...they were innocent civilians.

And people wonder why I want us to stay in Afghanistan and finally rid the world of Taliban.

At least 32 killed in Faisalabad blast


LAHORE: A massive bomb blast by militants at a gas station in Faisalabad, a city in Pakistan’s central Punjab province, Tuesday killed at least 32 people and wounded 125 others, DawnNews reported.

The explosion also damaged nearby buildings.

An office of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and a local gas station were severely damaged in the blast, AP reported.

Senior government official Naseem Sadiq said explosives were planted in a vehicle parked at the gas station, which also lies near police offices as well as the PIA building.

Regional police chief Aftab Cheema confirmed the attack in Faisalabad, the country’s textile-making capital.

“It was a car bomb blast. The explosive was planted in a car. We are investigating whether a suicide bomber was involved or not,” Cheema said.

Television pictures showed the station had been reduced to a pile of bricks and gnarled metal as rescue officials worked to remove rubble from the scene to search for survivors and ambulance vehicles ferried the injured away.

City commissioner Tahir Husain told a private television channel that rescue officials were heaving bricks and metal away to save those trapped.

“There are some people trapped under the building rubble. We have deployed our cranes and machinery to rescue them very soon,” he added.

Husain told a private television channel that no suicide attacker was involved.

“It was not a suicide attack. It was a planted bomb blast. The bomb exploded near the gas cylinders that triggered a bigger blast,” he said.

Husain said that the attack could have targeted government buildings close to the gas station site, some of which he said were damaged in the blast.

Pakistan has been wracked by violence, mostly targeting security officials.

Some 4,000 people have been killed in bomb blasts, suicide and gun attacks blamed on Taliban and al Qaeda fighters since July 2007.

Rare Admission By Al Qaeda: Drone Attacks In Pakistan Are Taking a Toll

I'm sure that this reported admission by an al Qaeda leader in Pakistan was never supposed to reach the ears of anyone in the West but apparently al Qaeda's Ustadh Ahmad Farooq in Pakistan was pretty open about the fact that U.S. predator drones are kicking al Qaeda's ass good.

It's not like I haven't documented the constant pummeling over the past year or so right here but up until now, we've only seen a few complaints about it from the Taliban - this is the first time that al Qaeda is on record of admitting the effects.

From the report at DAWN:

A purported al Qaeda leader in Pakistan said the terror network was losing land and fighters amid a US drone strike campaign.

Ustadh Ahmad Farooq’s comments were reported late Wednesday by SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant propaganda.

The rare admission of weakness comes as the US has escalated the missile strikes against militants in Pakistan’s tribal belt.

You'll notice that Farooq doesn't mention the psychological toll which we can imagine is even worse on the al Qaeda fighters so that is encouraging - the fact that he is concerned about the loss of number of jihadis is awesome.

I've been a little concerned in January here because there have been only a sprinkling of such predator drone strikes - not sure why that is but I hope to hell it turns around soon.

Al Qaeda leader says facing pressure from drones


SLAMABAD: A purported al Qaeda leader in Pakistan said the terror network was losing land and fighters amid a US drone strike campaign.

Ustadh Ahmad Farooq’s comments were reported late Wednesday by SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant propaganda.

The rare admission of weakness comes as the US has escalated the missile strikes against militants in Pakistan’s tribal belt.

US President Barack Obama said this week al Qaeda faces more pressure in Pakistan than any point since the September 11 attacks.

SITE described Farooq as al Qaeda’s Pakistan media chief. It said he spoke of challenges facing al Qaeda in an audio lecture to extremist forums earlier in January, urging followers to keep faith in God during crises.

The recording’s authenticity could not be independently verified.

Taliban/al Qaeda Blow Up Minibus In Kohat, Pakistan...17 Killed

The jihadis in Pakistan decided to start the week off in bloody fashion in the Pakistani area of Kohat today by taking out a minibus carrying a number of passengers - police discovered after the explosion that explosives were placed with a timer next to the gas cylinders in the bus.

From the report at DAWN:

A minibus explosion in northwest Pakistan that killed 17 people and injured 11 others Monday was a terrorist attack triggered by a timed bomb, police told AFP.

Revising an earlier report that the blast had been caused by exploding gas cylinders, police in Jawarza, near the restive town of Hangu, said the minibus had been planted with about 10 kilogrammes of explosives.

“The report of the bomb disposal squad shows that explosive materials fitted with a timer were placed near the gas cylinders which caused the explosion,” district police chief Abdul Rashid told AFP from the scene.

“The death toll has risen to 17 and five bodies still remain unidentified, as they have have been burnt very badly,” he added.

The mangled and burned-out wreckage of the minibus and another passenger vehicle were left at the scene.

Rashid said most of the passengers in the minibus had been killed, along with two people travelling in a pick-up truck nearby when the blast occurred.

One has to wonder from this who exactly was the target of this attack. I mean, are the Taliban and/or al Qaeda at the point where just blowing up people that climb aboard a minibus is their "mission"? Or was this a case where the minibus blew up prior to reaching a more strategic destination like a police headquarters or government building?

With the Taliban/al Qaeda, it really gets harder and harder to figure out - I've said it before that part of the makeup of these groups is this innate need to kill. They seem to only be able to go so long without killing someone. So when we see these acts of terrorism and scratch our heads afterwards and ask "why"...well, sometimes we simply have to understand that there IS no rhyme or reason.

We also have to remember that some of these attacks are simply symbolic to the Taliban and al Qaeda - it's a reminder that they are nearby, that they are watching and that everyone in the area better conform to their twisted view of life.

Now, I've been covering Pakistan for nearly three years and I can tell you this, my observation is that in the not so distant future, things will have to come to a head. The violence in that country is beyond comprehension and it seems to me that the Pakistani government is going to end up with a decision to make - they either decide to go full out to drive the Taliban and al Qaeda from their country or they will try to make peace with them and give up the country, in essence.

(Photo above is a file photo)

Minibus bomb attack in Kohat kills 17


PESHAWAR: A minibus explosion in northwest Pakistan that killed 17 people and injured 11 others Monday was a terrorist attack triggered by a timed bomb, police told AFP.

Revising an earlier report that the blast had been caused by exploding gas cylinders, police in Jawarza, near the restive town of Hangu, said the minibus had been planted with about 10 kilogrammes of explosives.

“The report of the bomb disposal squad shows that explosive materials fitted with a timer were placed near the gas cylinders which caused the explosion,” district police chief Abdul Rashid told AFP from the scene.

“The death toll has risen to 17 and five bodies still remain unidentified, as they have have been burnt very badly,” he added.

The mangled and burned-out wreckage of the minibus and another passenger vehicle were left at the scene.

Rashid said most of the passengers in the minibus had been killed, along with two people travelling in a pick-up truck nearby when the blast occurred.

Senior police official Masood Khan Afridi confirmed that the blast was caused by high-intensity explosives.

“It was a terrorist attack,” he said. “We are looking for the owner of the vehicle, as the driver was killed in the blast,” he added.

In the same militant-hit district of Hangu on Friday, a female police constable was killed along with five of her relatives in a pre-dawn raid on her house by attackers armed with rockets and rifles.

The area borders the deeply conservative tribal region of Kurram, a lawless region on the Afghan border where entrenched militants oppose jobs and education for women.

Militants frequently carry out attacks in the area against both civilians and security forces.

Two White British Jihadi Converts Killed Alongside Al Qaeda In Drone Strike In Pakistan

So now U.S. predator drones flying over North Waziristan in Pakistan have added white British muslim converts to their death tally as a recent drone strike in the agency killed two British men who were fighting alongside al Qaeda in the region. This is the first time that a British citizen has been killed in such a drone attack. Oh how their families must be proud, huh? By the way, if you are a white dude who says "chutney" and "cheerio"....do you get those same dark haired, dark eyed virgins in Mo's paradise?

Here's the report at Mail Online.

White Britons 'called Steve and Gerry killed fighting for Al Qaeda in Pakistan' by U.S. drone missile


Two white British men who were fighting alongside Al Qaeda militants in Pakistan have been killed in a drone attack, it was reported last night.

One of the men was identified by Taliban sources as 25-year-old Gerry Smith, whose Islamic name is Mansoor Ahmed, according to the officials. The second was only identified as Stephen, 48, but also goes by Abu Bakar.

The men died five days ago when a Hellfire missile was discharged from a remote-controlled American drone in the town of Datta Khel, in North Waziristan.

If the reports are confirmed, the two men would be the first white British converts to have been killed.
They were in a vehicle with two other fighters when they were hit by the missile. It is not known whether they were crossing the border into Afghanistan.
Details of their deaths are slowly emerging following the missile strike on the Pakistan and Afghanistan borders.
It was reported that the pair had entered the area last year and had travelled to Waziristan in the lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan to join Al Qaeda.
The Americans believe that there are around 2,000 militants in the area. These are the ones that are targeted by drone attacks because they are deemed the most dangerous.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are aware of media reports of the death of two British nationals in Pakistan.
‘Our High Commission in Pakistan is seeking further information on these reports.’ In September another British militant called Abdul Jabber, who was from Birmingham and of Asian descent, died in a drone attack in the same area.
Although not part of official defence strategy, and not acknowledged by the CIA, drone attacks have been stepped up in recent months as the United States attempts to tackle fighters who gather openly in Pakistani villages and compounds.
There have been at least 25 such strikes in Pakistan since September, resulting in the deaths of around 50 people.
The tactic has caused controversy, with Afghan leaders claiming they cause indiscriminate civilian casualties.
A senior defence source said: ‘There was possibly an attack on two British nationals five days ago. It is not something our military have been [dealing with] as it was out of our operating area, and there was no involvement from our side.
‘The Foreign Office is investigating the reports.’
The Pentagon had no comment to make on the reported deaths last night.

Pair of U.S. Drone Strikes In North Waziristan Kill Upwards of 14 Taliban/Al Qaeda

A quiet weekend in North Waziristan has now turned not so quiet as U.S. predator drones struck in two parts of North Waziristan, Pakistan killing at leas 14 Taliban and/or al Qaeda jihadists.

From the report at TODAYonline:

Local intelligence officials say a pair of American drone strikes has killed 14 suspected militants in northwestern Pakistan, in the latest attacks against al-Qaida and Taliban militants seeking sanctuary in the region.

The missiles struck an hour apart in the North Waziristan.

In the first strike, one American missile slammed into a house and another hit a vehicle in the town of Ghulam Khan just north of Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, the two officials said. Nine insurgents were killed.

An hour later, another pair of missiles struck a vehicle in the nearby town of Datta Khel, killing five suspected militants, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to talk to the media. They said all five killed were foreigners.

Now, that's more like it, huh? I am noticing more and more in our predator drone strikes in North Waziristan that we are engaging vehicles and of course, one of the benefits of that is a much higher kill ratio than if we are trying to land a hellfire into a compound or other structure.

You'll notice that in the second strike that all "victims" were designated as foreigners - now, that doesn't necessarily mean they were al Qaeda - they could be more German imports or they could be Uzbeck Taliban.

Let's hope that perhaps we'll have another strike to report by the end of the day and we can keep our weekend averages up - but to get 14 Taliban/Al Qaeda clowns in two strikes is very, very good.

Pakistan: Local intel officials update suspected militant death toll in US missile strikes to 14


PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - Local intelligence officials say a pair of American drone strikes has killed 14 suspected militants in northwestern Pakistan, in the latest attacks against al-Qaida and Taliban militants seeking sanctuary in the region.

The missiles struck an hour apart in the North Waziristan.

In the first strike, one American missile slammed into a house and another hit a vehicle in the town of Ghulam Khan just north of Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, the two officials said. Nine insurgents were killed.

An hour later, another pair of missiles struck a vehicle in the nearby town of Datta Khel, killing five suspected militants, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to talk to the media. They said all five killed were foreigners.

Weekend Drone Bloodbath: 7 Taliban/Al Qaeda Blown To Bits In U.S. Drone Strike In North Waziristan

After a bit of a quiet day yesterday in North Waziristan, the hum of predator drones broke the morning silence today and 7 Taliban and/or al Qaeda jihadis won't be raping women or killing U.S. troops anymore.

From the report at The Long War Journal:

US Predators killed seven "militants" in a Predator strike today in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The unmanned Predators or more deadly Reapers fired four missiles at a compound in the village of Shawa and two vehicles parked outside, according to AFP. The Predators hit a camp known to be used by Afghan refugees who support Taliban operations in Afghanistan, according to the BBC.

“At least seven militants were killed and three wounded,” a Pakistani security official told AFP.

No senior al Qaeda or Taliban operatives have been reported killed in the strike.

Shawa is in the Mir Ali area, which 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. Mir Ali is a known hub for al Qaeda's military and external operations councils. Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar and the Haqqani Network also operate in the Mir Ali area.

This area, the area of Mir Ali, has been pounded in the past by our predator drones and yet we find even more compounds full of these fleabags. It kind of makes you wonder just how lousy North Waziristan really is with these jihadis.

One thing is for sure - not only has the drone attack strategy in North Waziristan put a damper on the planning and execution of the al Qaeda terror plans for Europe but the overall activity by the Taliban moving into Afghanistan has also abated. The reported attacks into southern Afghanistan from the Taliban crossing over from Pakistan is way down, from my observations.

US Predators kill 7 'militants' in al Qaeda hub in North Waziristan


US Predators killed seven "militants" in a Predator strike today in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The unmanned Predators or more deadly Reapers fired four missiles at a compound in the village of Shawa and two vehicles parked outside, according to AFP. The Predators hit a camp known to be used by Afghan refugees who support Taliban operations in Afghanistan, according to the BBC.

“At least seven militants were killed and three wounded,” a Pakistani security official told AFP.

No senior al Qaeda or Taliban operatives have been reported killed in the strike.

Shawa is in the Mir Ali area, which 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. Mir Ali is a known hub for al Qaeda's military and external operations councils. Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar and the Haqqani Network also operate in the Mir Ali area.

Today's strike takes place as the US is seeking to disrupt a plot by al Qaeda modeled after the Mumbai terror assault. Al Qaeda operatives have been planning to carry out a terror assault targeting several major European cities. The plot is said to have been ordered by Osama bin Laden.

The US has been pounding targets in the Datta Khel, Miramshah, and Mir Ali areas of North Waziristan in an effort to kill members involved in the European plot. 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 host of Pakistani and Central and South Asian terror groups host or share camps in the region.

Key al Qaeda leaders killed in recent attacks

Al Qaeda and allied terror groups based in Pakistan's tribal leaders have suffered significant losses since the summer of 2009, beginning with the death of Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban who allied with al Qaeda. Since August 2009, al Qaeda has lost two leaders of its operations in the Khorasan (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia): Mustafa Abu Yazid, and his successor Sheikh Fateh al Masri. Yazid also served as al Qaeda's paymaster and top financial official.

In addition to Yazid and Fateh, Abdullah Said al Libi, who was the leader of al Qaeda's military, and several members of the military council have been killed in Predator strikes. And some the top leaders of several al Qaeda's affiliates have also been killed: Abdul Haq al Turkistani, a member of al Qaeda's Shura Majlis and the leader of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party; Najmuddin Jalolov; the leader of the Islamic Jihad Group; and Tahir Yuldashev the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. [For the full list of al Qaeda leaders killed in the US Predator campaign, see LWJ Special Report, Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2010.]

Despite these devastating losses, al Qaeda has been able to replenish its leadership by recruiting from the ranks of affiliated terror groups based in Pakistan [see Al Qaeda's #3 misidentified again for more details.]

Operatives such as Mohammed Usman, who was killed last month, have served principal roles in filling the leadership void in al Qaeda caused by the Predator campaign, and have recruited new allies for the local and global jihad. Usman, a Pakistani and longtime jihadist, served as a key aide to Osama bin Laden and as the "spymaster" for Ilyas Kashmiri, and played an important part in uniting al Qaeda with various Pakistani Taliban and jihadist groups.

The Predator strikes, by the numbers

The pace of the strikes since the beginning of September is unprecedented since the US began the air campaign in Pakistan in 2004. The 21 strikes in September is a record number, and with nine strikes already in October, the US appears to be prepared to match last month's pace. The previous high was 11 strikes in January 2010, after the Taliban and al Qaeda executed a successful suicide attack at Combat Outpost Chapman that targeted CIA personnel who were active in gathering intelligence for the Predator campaign in Pakistan. In the bombing at COP Chapman, seven CIA officials and a Jordanian intelligence officer were killed.

The US has carried out 84 attacks inside Pakistan this year, which is more than double the number of strikes in Pakistan just two years ago. The US exceeded last year's strike total of 53 with a strike in Kurram in late August. In 2008, the US carried out 36 strikes inside Pakistan. [For up-to-date charts on the US air campaign in Pakistan, see LWJ Special Report, Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2010.]

All but nine of this year's 84 strikes have taken place in North Waziristan. Of the nine strikes that have occurred outside of North Waziristan, seven took place in South Waziristan, one occurred in Khyber, and one took place in Kurram.

The US campaign in northwestern Pakistan has targeted top al Qaeda leaders, al Qaeda's external operations network, and Taliban leaders and fighters who threaten both the Afghan and Pakistani states as well as support al Qaeda's external operations. [For a list of al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in the US air campaign in Pakistan, see LWJ Special Report, Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2010.]

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 Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the Haqqani Network, and Mullah Nazir. The Haqqanis, Bahadar, and Nazir, despite for their support for al Qaeda and other terror groups, are considered "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

Tuesday Double Treat: Al Qaeda's Leader For Afghanistan & Pakistan Killed In Drone Strike, South Waziristan Hit Today, 4 More Taliban Dead

You know, I go to The Long War Journal's site each day now and my eyes grow large, they brighten and then I get this HUGE smile on my face. :)

Tuesday's news couldn't get a whole lot better as it was discovered yet not confirmed, that al Qaeda's new leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Sheikh Fateh al Masri, was killed in last week's drone attack where a fleeing jihadi vehicle was blown to smithereens. By the way, al Masri was celebrating just his third month of ruling over Afghanistan and Pakistan for al Qaeda - because his predecessor met a similar fate and now al Qaeda is out head-hunting (pardon the pun) for a new leader. Any takers out there?

From the article:

Unconfirmed reports from Pakistan indicate the US has killed al Qaeda's newly appointed leader of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sheikh Fateh al Masri, the leader of Qaedat al Jihad fi Khorasan, or the base of the jihad in the Khorasan, was killed in a recent Predator strike, Pakistani intelligence officials told AFP.

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal said they were aware of the reports and were investigating. One US official confirmed that Fateh was targeted in the spate of recent strikes but cautioned that given the total control that the Taliban and al Qaeda have in North Waziristan, it is difficult to be certain Fateh was killed.

Al Qaeda has not released a martyrdom statement announcing Fateh's death. Such statements are often released on jihadist Internet forums days or weeks after a leader is killed.

Fateh is thought to have been killed in the Sept. 25 strike in Datta Khel in North Waziristan, a known haven for al Qaeda's top leaders. In that attack, US Predators or Reapers fired three missiles at a vehicle, killing four "militants."

Datta Khel is administered by Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the Taliban commander for North Waziristan. Despite the fact that Bahadar and the Haqqani Network shelter al Qaeda and other South and Central Asian terror groups, the Pakistani government and military refuse to take action in North Waziristan. Bahadar and the Haqqanis are viewed as "good Taliban" as they do not attack the Pakistani state.

Fatah replaced Mustafa Abu Yazid, al Qaeda's former leader in Afghanistan, who was killed in the May 21 Predator airstrike in Datta Khel in North Waziristan. Yazid served as al Qaeda's chief financier and paymaster. Al Qaeda has not publicly named Yazid's replacement for its top financial official, nor is it likely to do so given the job's importance, intelligence officials said.

I find it interesting that both this al Qaeda leader and his predecessor both have been killed now in North Waziristan...I guess we can another reason why the U.S. has been pelting this agency in NW Pakistan so heavily. At the same time, I cannot fully explain how badly it hurts an organization like al Qaeda when they lose a leader like this - these top leaders are pretty secretive of all of their contacts and trust between the Taliban sects and such is hard to earn...so now some new chump basically has to start all over.

One can only hope that this news is confirmed shortly. Then we can really celebrate here at Holger.

By the way, just in case you want a second helping of good news...a U.S. predator drone strike hit SOUTH Waziristan today and killed four Taliban. Yessssss!

(File photo above)

US kills al Qaeda's leader for Afghanistan and Pakistan in Predator strike: Report


Unconfirmed reports from Pakistan indicate the US has killed al Qaeda's newly appointed leader of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sheikh Fateh al Masri, the leader of Qaedat al Jihad fi Khorasan, or the base of the jihad in the Khorasan, was killed in a recent Predator strike, Pakistani intelligence officials told AFP.

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal said they were aware of the reports and were investigating. One US official confirmed that Fateh was targeted in the spate of recent strikes but cautioned that given the total control that the Taliban and al Qaeda have in North Waziristan, it is difficult to be certain Fateh was killed.

Al Qaeda has not released a martyrdom statement announcing Fateh's death. Such statements are often released on jihadist Internet forums days or weeks after a leader is killed.

Fateh is thought to have been killed in the Sept. 25 strike in Datta Khel in North Waziristan, a known haven for al Qaeda's top leaders. In that attack, US Predators or Reapers fired three missiles at a vehicle, killing four "militants."

Datta Khel is administered by Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the Taliban commander for North Waziristan. Despite the fact that Bahadar and the Haqqani Network shelter al Qaeda and other South and Central Asian terror groups, the Pakistani government and military refuse to take action in North Waziristan. Bahadar and the Haqqanis are viewed as "good Taliban" as they do not attack the Pakistani state.

Fatah replaced Mustafa Abu Yazid, al Qaeda's former leader in Afghanistan, who was killed in the May 21 Predator airstrike in Datta Khel in North Waziristan. Yazid served as al Qaeda's chief financier and paymaster. Al Qaeda has not publicly named Yazid's replacement for its top financial official, nor is it likely to do so given the job's importance, intelligence officials said.

Fateh, like Yazid, is an Egyptian who is close to Ayman al Zawahiri. Egyptians hold a significant number of al Qaeda's top leadership positions.

The Khorasan is a region that encompasses large areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Iran. The Khorasan is considered by jihadists to be the place where they will inflict the first defeat against their enemies in the Muslim version of Armageddon. The final battle is to take place in the Levant - Israel, Syria, and Lebanon.

Mentions of the Khorasan have begun to increase in al Qaeda's propaganda since 2007. After al Qaeda's defeat in Iraq, the group began shifting its rhetoric from promoting Iraq as the central front in their jihad and has placed the focus on the Khorasan.