Senior al Qaeda leader targeted in airstrike in Bannu, Pakistan

This morning’s airstrike in Pakistan’s Bannu region targeted a senior al Qaeda leader with close ties to Osama bin Laden, sources told The Long War Journal.

The early morning Predator strike is thought to have killed Abdullah Azzam al Saudi, a senior al Qaeda leader operating in Pakistan’s tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province.

Azzam, a Saudi national, serves as a liaison between al Qaeda and the Taliban operating in Pakistan’s northwest, intelligence officials said. Azzam facilitates al Qaeda’s external operations network that is tasked with striking against the West. He has also served as a recruiter and trainer for al Qaeda.

Pakistani intelligence officials reported Azzam was killed along with four other al Qaeda and Taliban operatives after Hellfire missiles launched from Predator or Reaper unmanned aircraft slammed into the home of Sakhi Mohammad in the Bannu Frontier Region.

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not confirm or deny Azzam’s death. “It is far too soon to know, and northwestern Pakistan isn’t the easiest place in the world to find out if these strikes succeed or fail,” one senior official said. “We’ve had far too many false positives this year to be certain this hit was successful.”

The strike in Bannu is the first recorded US attack outside of Pakistan’s seven Taliban-controlled tribal agencies, and appears to be the deepest US strike inside Pakistani territory to date. In the past three years, the US has concentrated its attacks in Bajaur and in North and South Waziristan, which border Bannu to the west.

There have been 30 recorded cross-border attacks and attempts in Pakistan this year, according to numbers compiled by The Long War Journal. Twenty-three of these attacks have occurred since Aug. 31. There were only 10 strikes during 2006 and 2007 combined.

The US strikes inside Pakistan’s tribal areas have killed five senior al Qaeda leaders this year.

For more information on today’s strike and background on recent strikes this year, see US Predator strikes al Qaeda & Taliban outside of Pakistan’s tribal areas.

US attacks inside Pakistan and incidents along the border in 2008:

• US Predator strikes al Qaeda & Taliban outside of Pakistan’s tribal areas

Nov. 19, 2008

• US targets compound in North Waziristan

Nov. 14, 2008

• US Predators strike al Qaeda camp in North Waziristan

Nov. 7, 2008

• US Predators strike again in Waziristan

Oct. 31, 2008

• US strikes kill al Qaeda operatives in North & South Waziristan