In only the second drone attack on the Taliban and al Qaeda in NW Pakistan this whole month, 16 Taliban were turned into a fine red mist by U.S. predator drones attacking a Taliban compound in South Waziristan. I don't know, everyone here in America seems to be taking some kind of vacation in July, perhaps that is the preferred month for vacations for CIA agents piloting the unmanned drones as well.
From the story at The Long War Journal:
Not only is this strike rare for July but it has been ages since we have hit a target in South Waziristan - over 90% of the drone strikes over the past six months have been in the North Waziristan area which hasn't been nearly as cleared by Pakistani military.
From the story at The Long War Journal:
The US carried out just its second Predator strike in Pakistan this month, killing 16 Taliban fighters in an attack on a Taliban compound in South Waziristan.
Several Predator or the more deadly Reaper unmanned strike aircraft fired five missiles at a "hideout" used by the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the Angora Adda area in South Waziristan, Geo News reported.
All of those killed were Taliban fighters, Pakistani intelligence officials told Dawn. No senior Taliban or al Qaeda leaders have been reported killed in the strike.
Wana is under the control of Mullah Nazir, the leader of the Taliban in the Waziri tribal areas in South Waziristan. Pakistan's military and intelligence services consider Nazir and his followers "good Taliban" as they do not openly seek the overthrow of the Pakistani state.
Not only is this strike rare for July but it has been ages since we have hit a target in South Waziristan - over 90% of the drone strikes over the past six months have been in the North Waziristan area which hasn't been nearly as cleared by Pakistani military.
US airstrike kills 16 in South Waziristan
The US carried out just its second Predator strike in Pakistan this month, killing 16 Taliban fighters in an attack on a Taliban compound in South Waziristan.
Several Predator or the more deadly Reaper unmanned strike aircraft fired five missiles at a "hideout" used by the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the Angora Adda area in South Waziristan, Geo News reported.
All of those killed were Taliban fighters, Pakistani intelligence officials told Dawn. No senior Taliban or al Qaeda leaders have been reported killed in the strike.
Wana is under the control of Mullah Nazir, the leader of the Taliban in the Waziri tribal areas in South Waziristan. Pakistan's military and intelligence services consider Nazir and his followers "good Taliban" as they do not openly seek the overthrow of the Pakistani state.
However, Nazir openly supports Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden, and wages jihad in Afghanistan; more senior al Qaeda leaders have been killed in Nazir's tribal areas during the US air campaign than in those of any other Taliban leader in Pakistan. Nazir also shelters the Mehsuds from the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, in violation of the peace agreement with the Pakistani government.
The number of strikes has dramatically reduced over the past month. Today's strike is just the second reported inside Pakistan in July. Over the past year, the US has averaged between six to eight strikes a month.
Also, two out of the past three strikes have taken place in Nazir's tribal areas in South Waziristan. Previously the strikes this year have focused on regions under the control of the Haqqani Network and Hafiz Gul Bahadar.
So far this year, the US has carried out 47 strikes in Pakistan; all but four have taken place in North Waziristan. The other four strikes took place in South Waziristan and the tribal agency of Khyber.
The US is well on its way to exceeding last year’s strike total in Pakistan. In 2009, the US carried out 53 strikes in Pakistan; and in 2008, the US carried out 36 strikes in the country.
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