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
Oct. 31, 2008
• US targets Taliban "facility" in South Waziristan
Oct. 26, 2008
• US hits Haqqani Network in North Waziristan
Oct. 22, 2008
• US strike in Baitullah Mehsud's territory kills 6
Oct. 16, 2008
• US targets safe house in North Waziristan
Oct. 11, 2008
• US strike kills 9 al Qaeda and Taliban in North Waziristan
Oct. 9, 2008
• US conducts two strikes in North Waziristan
Oct. 3, 2008
• Taliban: Baitullah Mehsud alive; US strike in North Waziristan
Oct. 1, 2008
• Pakistan military fires on ISAF forces
Sept. 25, 2008
• Pakistani military fires on US helicopters at border
Sept. 22, 2008
• US strikes Taliban camp in South Waziristan
Sept. 17, 2008
• Report: US helicopters fired on while crossing Pakistani border
Sept. 15, 2008
• US hits compound in North Waziristan
Sept. 12, 2008
• US targets Haqqani Network in North Waziristan
Sept. 8, 2008
• US airstrike killed five al Qaeda operatives in North Waziristan
Sept. 5, 2008
• Report: US airstrike kills four in North Waziristan
Sept. 4, 2008
• Pakistanis claim US helicopter-borne forces assaulted village in South Waziristan
Sept. 3, 2008
• US hits al Qaeda safe house in North Waziristan
Aug. 31, 2008
• Five killed in al Qaeda safe house strike in South Waziristan
Aug. 31, 2008
• Al Qaeda safe house targeted in South Waziristan strike
Aug. 20, 2008
• Cross-border strike targets one of the Taliban's 157 training camps in Pakistan's northwest
Aug. 13, 2008
• Six killed in strike in South Waziristan
July 28, 2008
• Report: Strike targets Baitullah Mehsud's hideout in Pakistan
June 14, 2008
• Senior Algerian al Qaeda operative killed in May 14 strike inside Pakistan
May 24, 2008
• Missile strike kills 20 in South Waziristan
March 16, 2008
• Unprecedented Coalition strike nails the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan
March 13, 2008
• Missile strike on al Qaeda meeting in South Waziristan kills 13
Feb. 28, 2008
• Senior al Qaeda leader Abu Laith al Libi killed in North Waziristan
Jan. 31, 2008