US strike kills 4 terrorists in North Waziristan

The US killed four Islamist terrorists in the first airstrike in more than a week in Pakistan’s Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The strike, carried out by unmanned Predator or Reaper attack aircraft, hit a Taliban safe house in the Saidgai region in North Waziristan. Two Hellfire missiles were reported to have been launched in the airstrike.

Four “extremists” were killed in the attack and two more were wounded, according to a report in Geo News.

The Saidgai region in North Waziristan is under the control of Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadar. The US has conducted two strikes in the town of Danda Saidgai since 2006.

The March, 1, 2006, attack in Danda Saidgai, one of the rare air assaults inside Pakistan by US special operations forces, targeted a training camp that housed hundreds of foreign fighters and served as a training center for the Black Guard, the specially trained bodyguards for Osama bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, and other senior al Qaeda leaders.

Al Qaeda commander Imad Asad, the commander of the Black Guard camp, was killed along with scores of al Qaeda fighters in a special operations assault on a military complex which housed hundreds of foreign fighters and served as a training center.

The Pakistani military and government have refused US pressure to move against Bahadar and the Haqqani Network, which is also based in North Waziristan. Instead, the Pakistani military negotiated a ceasefire with Bahadar and his ally Mullah Nazir in South Waziristan that allows the military to move through their territories without being attacked as it operates against Hakeemullah Mehsud’s Taliban faction in South Waziristan.

The Haqqanis, Bahadar, and Nazir all shelter al Qaeda leaders and operatives, and their forces operate against NATO and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the military commander of the Haqqani Network, is close to al Qaeda and is thought to be a member of al Qaeda’s military council.

Today’s strike is the first since a flurry of attacks on Dec. 17-18, when airstrikes hit al Qaeda camps, safe houses, and commanders in North Waziristan. Zuhaib al Zahib, a commander in the Lashkar al Zil, al Qaeda’s Shadow Army, is thought to have been killed. Sheikh Saeed al Saudi, a brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden and a member of al Qaeda’s Shura Majlis, was the target of the strikes.

North Waziristan has become the focal point of the US air campaign in Pakistan. Since the Aug. 5 strike in South Waziristan that killed Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, 15 of the 19 reported airstrikes have taken place in North Waziristan, while the other four were in South Waziristan.

So far this year, the US has carried out 51 airstrikes inside Pakistan. In all of 2008, 36 strikes were carried out. Since the US ramped up cross-border attacks in August 2008, 16 senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed.

US airstrikes in Pakistan in 2009:

US strike kills 4 terrorists in North Waziristan

Dec. 26, 2009

US airstrike kills 8 Punjabi Taliban in North Waziristan

Dec. 18, 2009

Al Qaeda Shadow Army commander killed in US strike [two airstrikes in North Waziristan]

Dec. 17, 2009

US strike kills 4 al Qaeda, 2 Taliban in South Waziristan

Dec. 10, 2009

US airstrike kills 3 in North Waziristan

Dec. 8, 2009

US airstrike kills 4 Taliban in North Waziristan

Nov. 18, 2009

US kills 4 in North Waziristan airstrike

Nov. 4, 2009

US airstrike targets al Qaeda in North Waziristan

Oct. 21, 2009

US kills 4 in strike on Haqqani Network in North Waziristan

Oct. 14, 2009

US strike kills Haqqani Network and foreign fighters in North Waziristan

Sept. 30, 2009

US aircraft strike in North and South Waziristan

Sept. 29, 2009

US airstrike targets Haqqani Network in North Waziristan

Sept. 24, 2009

Two al Qaeda leaders reported killed in North Waziristan strike

Sept. 14, 2009

12 killed in second US strike in North Waziristan

Sept. 8, 2009

Senior al Qaeda leaders reported killed in North Waziristan strike

Sept. 7, 2009

US strikes Taliban compound in South Waziristan, 8 killed

Aug. 27, 2009

US Predators target the Haqqanis in North Waziristan

Aug. 20, 2009

US kills 14 in strike on Taliban training camp in South Waziristan

Aug. 11, 2009

Baitullah Mehsud’s wife killed in Predator attack

Aug. 5, 2009

US Predator strikes in North Waziristan, kills 5

July 17, 2009

US strikes Taliban communications center in South Waziristan

July 10, 2009

US kills 25 Taliban in second Predator strike in South Waziristan

July 8, 2009

US Predator strike on Taliban camp kills 8 in South Waziristan

July 8, 2009

US Predator strike kills 14 Taliban in South Waziristan

July 7, 2009

13 Taliban fighters killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan

July 3, 2009

Scores of Taliban killed in second US strike in South Waziristan

June 23, 2009

Six killed in US Predator attack in South Waziristan

June 23, 2009

US strikes target Mullah Nazir in South Waziristan

June 18, 2009

US kills 5 in South Waziristan strike

June 14, 2009

US strikes Taliban, al Qaeda in North Waziristan

May 16, 2009

US strikes again in South Waziristan

May 12, 2009

US strike targets Baitullah Mehsud territory in South Waziristan

May 9, 2009

US strike kills 10 Taliban in South Waziristan

April 29, 2009

US airstrike targets Taliban training camp in South Waziristan

April 19, 2009

US Predator kills four in South Waziristan strike

April 8, 2009

US strikes Haqqani Network in North Waziristan

April 4, 2009

US launches first strike in Arakzai tribal agency

April 1, 2009

Latest US strike targets al Qaeda safe house in North Waziristan

March 26, 2009

US airstrike kills 8 in Baitullah Mehsud’s hometown

March 25, 2009

US launches second strike outside of Pakistan’s tribal areas

March 15, 2009

US missile strike in Kurram agency kills 14

March 12, 2009

US airstrike kills 8 in South Waziristan

March 1, 2009

US airstrike in Pakistan’s Kurram tribal agency kills 30

Feb. 16, 2009

US Predator strike in South Waziristan kills 25

Feb. 14, 2009

US strikes al Qaeda in North and South Waziristan

Jan. 23, 2009

US hits South Waziristan in second strike

Jan. 2, 2009

US kills 4 al Qaeda operatives in South Waziristan strike

Jan. 1, 2009

For a summary of US strikes inside Pakistan in 2008, see “US strikes in 2 villages in South Waziristan”.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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26 Comments

  • Al says:

    If hundreds of terrorists are found at a camp, why not use a fuel-air daisy cutter to wipe out a large area about 1/4 mile diameter? Get all the bastards at one time, no escapees.

  • Tyler says:

    Pretty sure Daisy Cutters don’t quite fit into a population-centric counterinsurgency strategy.
    Anywho, hey Bill I thought I’d point you to this story in case you missed it. Dawn reporting that Maulana Shah Dauran, the Swat Taliban deputy we all know and love for his radio decrees banning girls from going to school, died of kidney failure in Bajaur.
    http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/19-swat-taliban-commander-dies-of-kidney-failure-729-hh-05
    Appeared on the ’20 most wanted list’ in Swat and had a minimum $120,000 (10 million Rs) price on his head.

  • cordoba.ali says:

    One day when U.S. will have to fight on its own soil and its enemies kills its civilians somewhere, the dead will be called terrorists too. Actually they will be called American Terrorists…won’t they?

  • T Ruth says:

    cordoba, i read your comment 5 times and still can’t understand what you are saying, although i suspect, i should consider myself fortunate.

  • Joe Six-Pack says:

    Makes sense. After combat fell in 2008, we shifted some pressure into Afghanistan/Pakistan.
    It is nice to have Iran on two sides: Iraq and Afghanistan. Too bad the Obama administration thinks that this is a bad idea.

  • Nissonic says:

    What I wanted to say is that the main idea of the war on terrorism is the war against its leadership. Cut of the head of the snake and the rest will fall…
    Easy to say yes and so much harder to execute…
    People here seem to have a hatred towards each individual AQ/TB associate. Their leadership is everything…without it there will be no AQ Im sure about that…
    People on both sides can be brainwashed. Ive been hated here for criticizing the Vietnam war. According to everyone (U.S excluded) it was America who was the unprovoked invader.
    Anyway it was the underlings doing the work of the leaders…
    It was the underlings fighting and the leaders talking.
    Its the same now…
    If I should recite a site used by LWJ about the Somali
    AQ group Al Shabab:
    “Al-Shabaab is made up of mainly loose rag-tag militia who have either been forced into militancy or brainwashed by Islamic fundamentalists.”
    There you have it! They are somewhat lured into it all. I bet a lot of people during the american civil war was just forced into it more or less. Whos the “bad guy” there? I guess its easy to let hate win over judgment and see them all as “bad guys”
    They are “bad” since their leaders tell them to…
    Just like the Japanese kamikaze units…
    Did they think of that themselves out of nowhere?
    Just something to think about…
    It would be nice to have air strikes that just kill their leaders and no civilians but I guess its impossible to make it without them……

  • Al says:

    Tyler, a training camp with hundreds of terrorists should be totally wiped out. Anyone there not a “terrorist” is a at least sympathizer or supporter.
    Make them really mortally afriad of aggregating in numbers.

  • Render says:

    “cordoba.ali” is an open supporter of Islamic terrorism. A quick Google search shows the same nic/IP uploading and spreading Taliban videos on line.
    Islamic terrorists have already invaded my homeland, killed my people, and called their innocent victims “terrorists.”
    Islamic terrorists have made it quite clear that they did so because my homeland is somewhat allied with Israel.
    Islamic terrorists have made no secret of their intent to kill all Jews.
    I’m an American Jew. Are you talking to me?
    ===
    Nissonic: Your obvious lack of historical knowledge renders your opinions on the subject somewhat moot.
    http://www.amazon.com/Street-Without-Joy-Bernard-Fall/dp/0811717003
    http://www.amazon.com/War-shadows-guerrilla-Robert-Asprey/dp/0385034709
    That being said and your further historical education contributed too, I don’t entirely disagree with your premise of getting (executing) their (al-Q/Talib) leadership.
    Do understand that those “brain-washed” legions of terrorist minions tend to get in the way – by choice. Often they put their own families in the way – by choice.
    You didn’t get “hated” on for “criticizing the Vietnam War”, you got hated on for your morale equivalence act.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_equivalence
    Some of us have seen that act before, many many times.
    IT’S A
    LONG
    WAR,
    R

  • KnightHawk says:

    Yup I’d prefer the entire area be wiped off the face of the planet, I don’t really care if your a terrorist proper or only the cook, if you’re there you should run a high risk of becoming dead.
    Al,
    The payload weight limit on average predator and reapers my prevent wide use of blu-96\95 fuel air pressure devices, not to mention you’d still need at least a couple to take out a decent sized camp I’d think, which probably means multiple birds. I put some money on the hellfire variant 114N of the same type weapon as being actively used though on targeted buildings in camps. Nothing like literally sucking the air out of your enemy.

  • T Ruth says:

    Nissonic, you say ” I guess its easy to let hate win over judgment and see them all as “bad guys”
    They are “bad” since their leaders tell them to…”
    So do these followers for whom you sympathise, not have a brain? Have you ever considered that there may be “good” and “bad” followers? (i admit to being a very bad follower myself.) What about you? Bear in mind, that these people had a choice to join the taliban or not. The “underlings” also still have the choice to hand over AQ heads and/or mutiny. Alas, “good’ followers need charismatic leaders, no?
    On “It would be nice to have air strikes that just kill their leaders and no civilians but I guess its impossible to make it without them……” Well it’ll also be nice if the terrorists didn’t target civilians, at times going to the lengths of New York, London, Madrid, Bali, Bombay and so on and so forth…
    Look, i had zero support for the Iraq invasion, but don’t you think AfPak is a different game of chess, especially with Pak’s nukes hanging in there?
    And yes, i care about the Unknown Villagers who can get caught in the cross-fire anywhere, anytime from either side. And yes, i have full respect for those who have consciously chosen not to join the ranks of AQAM, despite all the islamist jihadist nonsense at their doorstep. But no, i have no sympathy for those underling good followers who have chosen their path. And no, i have no sympathy for the double crossing Pak army and its men and agenda. And yes i have sympathy for every Pakistani to the extent that they have a lousy bunch of leaders and having largely been ruled by the its own States’ guns they have been deprived of the choice of being good or bad followers. Even now, poor chaps, they seem to have the choice of the devil and the deep blue sea.
    So they’d better start swimmin’ or they’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are a changin’…

  • Greg says:

    I notice there is an article on this website posted on Dec. 27, 2009 entitled Taliban Execute Bajaur Tribal Leader. It appears to be about a tribal leader, Gul Mohammed, that was tortured and executed for fighting against the Taliban in Pakistan. In fact, the article states that “The Taliban pinned a note to Mohammed’s body that said ‘the man was spying for security forces and anybody found involved in anti-Taliban activities will meet the same fate.'”

  • Raven says:

    Most islamic militia groups are indeed start off as rag-tag fundamentalist force until they get employed by some other financially bigger groups (state intelligence, Army, Saudi’s, etc.). Assuming their starting point as a permanent state may not apply to Al-Shabaab or Taliban or LeT as they are matured and already in the hands of external players. Now they are an Army fighting proxy wars for any number of reasons but all camouflaged in the goal that they are “fighting for islam” while moderate muslims keep quiet. That’s how I see it…

  • Nissonic says:

    First of all I understand that people here like to paraphrase and mock my English…its OK I’m a swede and not an expert in English…
    T Ruth: I sympathize with underlings that are powerless and have been brainwashed to do deeds for vicious leaders. If the deeds are vicious like in AQ/TBs case then they are brainwashed or forced into it somehow.
    Just a very small bunch can be that extreme…thats why its called extreme…
    The underlings have committed the acts of violence for their leaders. I never said I support the leaders. They should all be put offline. Sadam, Mohammad Omar, Osama Bin Ladin…they are the ones that needs to be killed.
    I believe that a major part of the population in the third world countries in wich these leaders operate can be easily manipulated.
    I bet some even get the choice of “Join us or die”.
    If they choose to join them then they dont have a brain according to you?
    Its known that the Taliban in Pakistan tend to execute some high ranking people and make it public to scare people. This is what happens if you even slightly go against us. Then one day the Taliban comes to your village and recruite you…do you say no after having seen them and know of their atrocities? Some stand against them and they will disappear…
    They recruit people in a “bad” way while America also recruits people to fight them in a “good” way?
    I sympathize for all the underlings…as long as they are good…I hope for the sake of all of us that the major part of people is good and not bad.
    Personally the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan seems to be seen in America as “our wars” or “our war against terrorism”
    You dont give a damn about all the other nations participating. They also die there. They are underlings too…somehow they have been lured into it all…
    Personally I dont feel that the human mind is that strong if the environment is strict.
    This is quotation from an earlier LWJ article:
    “The Black Guard are specially selected al Qaeda members who take a blood oath to defend bin Laden to the death.”
    https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2006/09/the_black_guards.php
    Who the hell would spend their life walking around with a black ski-mask and pledge to give your life for some old bastard with a wooden stick?
    Are these people completely sane to you?
    What about those 9/11 bombers? They were all high educated young people manipulated to do the vicious deeds to crash planes into towers. No manipulation or brainwash there? Just “bad” followers by choice?
    Osama Bin Ladin should die… Find him and execute him…easier said than done of course…hes the real snake in this tragic tale…
    Cut of the head and the rest of the body will perish.
    Develop more accurate missiles and kill their leaders. Save your own troops, sending them in harms way is nothing but a body count…yours or do I dare say “ours” (counting in europeans going there)?
    In short wipe out their leaders!

  • T Ruth says:

    Nissonic,
    I’m still interested in your response and our dialogue….

  • Xavier says:

    Nissonic says
    “What about those 9/11 bombers? They were all high educated young people manipulated to do the vicious deeds to crash planes into towers. No manipulation or brainwash there? Just “bad” followers by choice?”
    ——————-
    If you can call these educated and financially well people “manipulated” then no one in this world is not manipulated.
    They are entirely responsible for their actions. No excuses like , “I was poor, did for money, to feed family”, “I had no education, I didn’t know”.
    Now if you are trying to find a cause for this behavior of these people may I offer “their culture” or more politically incorrect cause “their religion”.
    Not all religions preach same values. Some are violent some are not. Some spread mostly by violence while others find alternatives.

  • AutumnOfFury says:

    To all those advocating mass killing using daisy cutters you are guilty of the same thing you accuse awlaki of, no?

  • AutumnOfFury says:

    Render said:
    “Do understand that those “brain-washed” legions of terrorist minions tend to get in the way – by choice. Often they put their own families in the way – by choice.”
    “Masada” ring a bell with you?
    “You didn’t get “hated” on for “criticizing the Vietnam War”, you got hated on for your morale equivalence act.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_equivalence
    Some of us have seen that act before, many many times.”
    Are you morally superior by who you are, or by what you do?

  • T Ruth says:

    Nissonic, i think you’re missing the point here. Are you criticising the doctrines or only the indoctrinators?
    I get the impression that you only want to criticise the indoctrinators without seeing the mischief and dogma in the doctrines themselves.
    And without appreciating the process of indoctrination and understanding its roots.
    Btw today’s indoctrinator was yesterdays subject of indoctrination. Amazing logic if you want to give him your sympathy while he’s being indoctrinated (and practising this by spraying bullets randomly) and then suddenly withdraw it when he begins to indoctrinate others!
    How much sympathy do you want to shower on this young Nigerian kid educated in the British School in Lagos and at university in London who became restless enough to reject his family, their wealth and actually everything including his own life in order to make his mark by killing 300 innocent children, women and men. Could’ve been you or me….
    Now tell me that he didn’t make a choice…
    And tell me that he was some poor guy from a third-world country who hadn’t seen an education….
    And if you insist that he had no choice in his manipulation–and manipulated he was, but that is just tautological; ditto for his insanity–please explain to me the process of this manipulative force upon him, such that he would abdicate his own brain. He was not a “bad” follower, he was good at following–this is my point. I not only sympathise with, i admire people who are bad followers…who reject EVERY dogma and use their God-given brain to think it out for themselves, especially as in the context here, killing utterly innocent people at random.
    In closing, i’ll draw your attention to a para from an aricle written by M Muthuswamy
    “Bill Warner of the Center for the Study of Political Islam has done some pioneering scientific analysis of Islamic doctrines. He has found that about 61 percent of the Koran speaks ill of unbelievers or calls for their violent conquest and subjugation, but only 2.6 percent of it talks about the overall good of humanity. The overwhelming measure of the stats — 61% vs. 2.6% — likely makes their implication impervious to subjectivity.”
    Read more at
    http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2009/04/jihadi_perils_in_pakistan.html
    So, i submit, when you can see the indoctrinator IS the indoctrinated, you then put the doctrines, with all their fable and dogma under the microscope.

  • T Ruth says:

    autumnoffury:
    “Are you morally superior by who you are, or by what you do?”
    We are human beings first, long before we become human doings.
    So it is all about who you BE! Know your self….no manual or books required here.

  • Render says:

    Autumn of Fury: (go ahead and Google it readers, you know you want to.)
    Does Moslem Brotherhood ring any bells with you?
    Care to try explaining that second question in a way that doesn’t leave you looking like a Jew hater?
    STOP
    KILLING
    JEWS,
    R

  • AutumnOfFury says:

    Render, is that your argument? To label me an anti-semite? You don’t even know me! How childish. I mentioned Masada because you mentioned “Moral Equivalence”.

  • Render says:

    I haven’t labeled you anything, yet. I’m still waiting for an explanation of your second question.
    The statement “Stop Killing Jews” is my only argument. It is not a request.
    SIMPLE
    SOLUTION,
    R

  • T Ruth says:

    autumn of fury says “How childish”….
    OK so lets hear it from you Mr Mature (btw even my child knows that tactic tries to establish superiority.)
    Having responded in good faith, I am also waiting for you to respond to Render. And to hear intelligibly quite what it is you are saying.
    And for daisy cutters, the NW flight targeted was not carrying 300 trainee terrorists.

  • T Ruth says:

    autumnoffury, i’ll take it that you decided to grab your marbles and run? Such a very mature dialogue….

  • Render says:

    T Ruth: Well, it’s either that or his response from Egypt didn’t meet the comments policy of LWJ.
    If either is the case then it is clear that once again my lone arguement is simpily too much for the common InternetJihadi and their online supporters to deal with.
    YAHRZEIT,
    R

  • KnightHawk says:

    AutumnOfFury at December 30, 2009 10:04 AM ET:

    No.

Iraq

Islamic state

Syria

Aqap

Al shabaab

Boko Haram

Isis