Jalaluddin Haqqani’s son killed in North Waziristan strike: Report

Siraj_Haqqani-1.jpg

Click to view slide show of commanders in the Haqqani Network. Pictured is a composite image of Siraj Haqqani.

Yesterday’s airstrike in the Taliban-controlled tribal of North Waziristan in Pakistan is thought to have killed a son of the leader of the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network.

Mohammed Haqqani, one of 12 sons of Jalaluddin Haqqani, is reported to have been killed in the Feb. 18 airstrike in Danda Darpa Khel just outside of Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan. Four Haqqani Network fighters were initially reported killed after an unmanned US Predator fired two missiles at a compound and a vehicle in the town.

Pakistani intelligence officials and a Taliban commander told AFP that Mohammed was one of four people killed. Mohammed was first reported killed late last night by Daily Times.

“Mohammed Haqqani, son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, was killed in yesterday’s attack along with two foreign operatives and a local tribesman,” a senior Pakistani security official told AFP. “Mohammed was not actively involved in the movement but his place was used as a hideout for Arab foreign militants.”

“It is a big loss for the family and for the Taliban,” Nek Daraz, a Taliban official in Miramshah said. “We will take revenge for his death on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.”

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal said they were aware of the reports of Mohammed’s death and indicated they believe the reports are true. The US officials also said Mohammed was not a senior leader in the Haqqani Network, but was a military commander.

“We would really have liked to have killed his brother instead,” a military intelligence official said, referring to Siraj Haqqani, the dangerous military commander of the Haqqani Network who is slated to take over for his father.

“Siraj was the target, he is the one we are after,” the official continued. “Getting Mohammed is a good sign, but we felt we’ve been close before.”

Siraj is one of 12 sons of Jalaluddin. He has risen in prominence over the past few years. He is believed to be the mastermind of the most deadly attacks inside Afghanistan and to be the senior military commander in the eastern Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Khost. The US military has described Siraj as the primary threat to security in eastern Afghanistan.

Siraj is considered dangerous not only for his ties with the Afghan Taliban, but also because of his connections with al Qaeda’s central leadership, which extend all the way to Osama bin Laden. On March 25, 2009, the US Department of State put out a $5 million bounty for information leading to the capture of Siraj.

The US has targeted Siraj multiple times in the past three years. Danda Darpa Khel is home to the Haqqanis’ madrassa, the Manba Ulom. The US has carried out seven of the 115 airstrikes since 2004 in the Haqqanis’ home town. [For up-to-date charts on the US air campaign in Pakistan, see: Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 – 2010.]

Several of Jalaluddin’s sons are deeply involved in the leadership of the terror network. Naisruddin is a top military leader in the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan. Badruddin is a military commander who coordinates attacks against Coalition and Afghan forces in eastern Afghanistan. Omar was killed leading Haqqani Network fighters during a US military operation in Khost province in July 2008.

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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10 Comments

  • Charles_Martel says:

    Bill,
    You mention in the second paragraph that Jalaluddin Haqqani has 12 sons but further down it states that he has 6 sons. Can you clarify?
    Thanks

  • Crusader1 says:

    Wackin and stackin at it’s best. Keep up the good work boys!!

  • Bill Roggio says:

    Hi Charles_Martel,
    Yes that was an error, Jalaluddin has 12 sons, I believe Siraj is one of six sons to one of Jaladuddin’s Afghan wives. I failed to say that properly, but it is not really important, so I corrected that.

  • kp says:

    And perhaps a little insight in the intel that they got for this hit: something like “One of Jalaluddin Haqqani’s son’s who works with AQ”. It still sends a message.

  • Paul says:

    They are going to take revenge??? Who are they kidding they better keep their heads in their caves…..this only the start! When you kill CIA agents that’s it. These guys are gonna be seeing drones in teir sleep.

  • batman says:

    Perhaps someone dropped a dime on them (or a firefly) because of the Haqqani rape tapes!

  • steve m says:

    i follow events in pakistan/afghanistan pretty closely and i can not believe that i have heard nothing of the rape tapes. what is wrong with the media? this should be on every news organizations top stories. is there a credibility question? am i missing something?

  • Clark Savage says:

    The only good Haqqani is a dead Haqqani …

  • Marlin says:

    This is an interesting background on how Mohammed Haqqani came to be eliminated.

    A top al-Qaeda leader of Egyptian origin Sheikh Mansoor had been killed in suspected US drone strike in Toll Khel area of the North Waziristan Agency.
    Official sources said the strike which was carried out on Febraury 17 also left number of other important militants killed.
    They said Mansoor was leading the militants who were fighting the US led Nato forces in Afghanistan.
    The sources also claimed that the son of Afghan Taliban leader Jalaud Din Haqqani, Muhammad Haqqani had gone to offer fateha for the deceased Shiek Mansoor when his vehicle was targeted by another drone in Dandi Darpakhel the following day.

    Dawn: Al-Qaeda leader killed in North Waziristan drone strike

  • Zeissa says:

    Let him go to the grave without successors (unless they are innocent).
    So that’s two dead and ten to go, three of them being senior leaders.

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