US Predator strike in North Waziristan kills 11 Taliban, al Qaeda

Unmanned US strike aircraft have killed 11 terrorists in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The strike aircraft, likely the Predators or the newer, more deadly Reapers, targeted Taliban and al Qaeda operatives today in the village of Datta Khel near the Afghan border. Datta Khel is a known hub for al Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

Four missiles were fired at two Taliban compounds in the village, Geo News reported.

"Arab militants" threw a wide cordon around the attack site to prevent people from interfering with the recovery. “They barred all access within three kilometers of the facility,” The Times of India reported, indicating that an important leader may have been present. The US has launched follow-up strikes during the recovery in the past, but no such attack was launched today.

No senior Taliban or al Qaeda fighters have been reported killed in the attack. US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not disclose the target of the attack.

Today's airstrike is just the third in Pakistan this month. The last attack, on March 10, killed 15 terrorists in the village of Mizar Madakhel near the Afghan border. Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the Taliban commander for North Waziristan, is rumored to have been killed in that attack but the report has not been confirmed.

Al Qaeda and allied Pakistani and Central Asian jihadi groups shelter in Bahadar's tribal areas, and they also run training camps and safe houses in the region. The Pakistani military has indicated it has no plans to take on Bahadar or the Haqqani Network, a deadly Taliban group that is closely allied with al Qaeda and is also based in North Waziristan.

So far this year, the US has carried out 20 strikes in Pakistan; all of them have taken place in North Waziristan. In 2009, the US carried out 53 strikes in Pakistan; and in 2008, the US carried out 36 strikes in the country. [For up-to-date charts on the US air campaign in Pakistan, see: Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2010.]

Background on the recent strikes in Pakistan

US intelligence believes that al Qaeda has reconstituted its external operations network in Pakistan's lawless, Taliban-controlled tribal areas. This network is tasked with hitting targets in the West, India, and elsewhere. The US has struck at these external cells using unmanned Predator aircraft and other means in an effort to disrupt al Qaeda's external network and decapitate the leadership. The US also has targeted al Qaeda-linked Taliban fighters operating in Afghanistan, particularly the notorious Haqqani Network.

As of the summer of 2008, al Qaeda and the Taliban operated 157 known training camps in the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. Al Qaeda has been training terrorists holding Western passports to conduct attacks, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal. Some of the camps are devoted to training the Taliban's military arm; some train suicide bombers for attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan; some focus on training the various Kashmiri terror groups; some train al Qaeda operatives for attacks in the West; some train the Lashkar al Zil, al Qaeda's Shadow Army; and one serves as a training ground for the Black Guard, the elite bodyguard unit for Osama bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, and other senior al Qaeda leaders.

Unmanned US Predator and Reaper strike aircraft have been pounding Taliban and al Qaeda hideouts in North Waziristan over the past several months in an effort to kill senior terror leaders and disrupt the networks that threaten Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the West. Since Dec. 8, 2009, the air campaign in Pakistan has killed four senior al Qaeda leaders, a senior Taliban commander, two senior al Qaeda operatives, and a wanted Palestinian terrorist who was allied with al Qaeda. The status of several others - a top Pakistani Taliban leader, a member of al Qaeda’s top council, and a wanted Philippine terrorist - is still unknown.

In December 2009, the US killed Abdullah Said al Libi, the top commander of the Shadow Army; Zuhaib al Zahib, a senior commander in the Shadow Army; and Saleh al Somali, the leader of al Qaeda's external network [see LWJ report, “Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 – 2010” for the full list of leaders and operatives thought to have been killed in US strikes].

Already this year, the US has killed Mansur al Shami, an al Qaeda ideologue and aide to al Qaeda’s leader in Afghanistan Mustafa Abu Yazid; Haji Omar Khan, a senior Taliban leader in North Waziristan; Mohammed Haqqani, a military commander in the Haqqani Network; Sheikh Mansoor, an al Qaeda Shadow Army commander; and Qari Mohammad Zafar, a leader of the al Qaeda and Taliban-linked Fedayeen-i-Islam. Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, the Abu Nidal Organization operative who participated in killing 22 hostages during the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am flight 73, is thought to have been killed in the Jan. 9 airstrike.

The status of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, is still unknown; the Taliban released a videotape of him on March 1 but it did not confirm he was alive. Numerous Taliban leaders have stated that he is still alive and in command. On March 15, Khalid Khawaja, a lawyer for terrorist groups in Pakistan and a former ISI officer, claimed that his associates met with Hakeemullah on March 9.

On March 1, a rumor surfaced that Abdul Haq al Turkistani, the leader of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party and a member of al Qaeda’s Shura Majlis, was killed in a strike on Feb. 15. And Abdul Basit Usman, an Abu Sayyaf operative with a $1 million US bounty for information leading to his capture, is rumored to have been killed in a strike on Jan. 14, although a Philippine military spokesman said Usman is likely still alive and in the Philippines.

US strikes in Pakistan in 2010:

(10)

Find related articles: Al Qaeda, Pakistan


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Advertising: LWJ Supports:	(10) US Predator strike in North Waziristan kills 11 Taliban, al Qaeda By Bill RoggioMarch 16, 2010 Unmanned US strike aircraft have killed 11 terrorists in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. The strike aircraft, likely the Predators or the newer, more deadly Reapers, targeted Taliban and al Qaeda operatives today in the village of Datta Khel near the Afghan border. Datta Khel is a known hub for al Qaeda and Taliban leaders. Four missiles were fired at two Taliban compounds in the village, Geo News reported. "Arab militants" threw a wide cordon around the attack site to prevent people from interfering with the recovery. “They barred all access within three kilometers of the facility,” The Times of India reported, indicating that an important leader may have been present. The US has launched follow-up strikes during the recovery in the past, but no such attack was launched today. No senior Taliban or al Qaeda fighters have been reported killed in the attack. US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not disclose the target of the attack. Today's airstrike is just the third in Pakistan this month. The last attack, on March 10, killed 15 terrorists in the village of Mizar Madakhel near the Afghan border. Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the Taliban commander for North Waziristan, is rumored to have been killed in that attack but the report has not been confirmed. Al Qaeda and allied Pakistani and Central Asian jihadi groups shelter in Bahadar's tribal areas, and they also run training camps and safe houses in the region. The Pakistani military has indicated it has no plans to take on Bahadar or the Haqqani Network, a deadly Taliban group that is closely allied with al Qaeda and is also based in North Waziristan. So far this year, the US has carried out 20 strikes in Pakistan; all of them have taken place in North Waziristan. In 2009, the US carried out 53 strikes in Pakistan; and in 2008, the US carried out 36 strikes in the country. [For up-to-date charts on the US air campaign in Pakistan, see: Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2010.] Background on the recent strikes in Pakistan US intelligence believes that al Qaeda has reconstituted its external operations network in Pakistan's lawless, Taliban-controlled tribal areas. This network is tasked with hitting targets in the West, India, and elsewhere. The US has struck at these external cells using unmanned Predator aircraft and other means in an effort to disrupt al Qaeda's external network and decapitate the leadership. The US also has targeted al Qaeda-linked Taliban fighters operating in Afghanistan, particularly the notorious Haqqani Network. As of the summer of 2008, al Qaeda and the Taliban operated 157 known training camps in the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. Al Qaeda has been training terrorists holding Western passports to conduct attacks, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal. Some of the camps are devoted to training the Taliban's military arm; some train suicide bombers for attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan; some focus on training the various Kashmiri terror groups; some train al Qaeda operatives for attacks in the West; some train the Lashkar al Zil, al Qaeda's Shadow Army; and one serves as a training ground for the Black Guard, the elite bodyguard unit for Osama bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, and other senior al Qaeda leaders. Unmanned US Predator and Reaper strike aircraft have been pounding Taliban and al Qaeda hideouts in North Waziristan over the past several months in an effort to kill senior terror leaders and disrupt the networks that threaten Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the West. Since Dec. 8, 2009, the air campaign in Pakistan has killed four senior al Qaeda leaders, a senior Taliban commander, two senior al Qaeda operatives, and a wanted Palestinian terrorist who was allied with al Qaeda. The status of several others - a top Pakistani Taliban leader, a member of al Qaeda’s top council, and a wanted Philippine terrorist - is still unknown. In December 2009, the US killed Abdullah Said al Libi, the top commander of the Shadow Army; Zuhaib al Zahib, a senior commander in the Shadow Army; and Saleh al Somali, the leader of al Qaeda's external network [see LWJ report, “Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 – 2010” for the full list of leaders and operatives thought to have been killed in US strikes]. Already this year, the US has killed Mansur al Shami, an al Qaeda ideologue and aide to al Qaeda’s leader in Afghanistan Mustafa Abu Yazid; Haji Omar Khan, a senior Taliban leader in North Waziristan; Mohammed Haqqani, a military commander in the Haqqani Network; Sheikh Mansoor, an al Qaeda Shadow Army commander; and Qari Mohammad Zafar, a leader of the al Qaeda and Taliban-linked Fedayeen-i-Islam. Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, the Abu Nidal Organization operative who participated in killing 22 hostages during the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am flight 73, is thought to have been killed in the Jan. 9 airstrike. The status of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, is still unknown; the Taliban released a videotape of him on March 1 but it did not confirm he was alive. Numerous Taliban leaders have stated that he is still alive and in command. On March 15, Khalid Khawaja, a lawyer for terrorist groups in Pakistan and a former ISI officer, claimed that his associates met with Hakeemullah on March 9. On March 1, a rumor surfaced that Abdul Haq al Turkistani, the leader of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party and a member of al Qaeda’s Shura Majlis, was killed in a strike on Feb. 15. And Abdul Basit Usman, an Abu Sayyaf operative with a $1 million US bounty for information leading to his capture, is rumored to have been killed in a strike on Jan. 14, although a Philippine military spokesman said Usman is likely still alive and in the Philippines. US strikes in Pakistan in 2010: • US Predator strike in North Waziristan kills 11 Taliban, al Qaeda March 16, 2010 • US airstrike kills 12 in North Waziristan March 10, 2010 • US airstrike in North Waziristan kills 5 Taliban fighters March 8, 2010 • US hits Haqqani Network in North Waziristan, kills 8 Feb. 24, 2010 • US airstrikes target Haqqani Network in North Waziristan Feb. 18, 2010 • Latest US airstrike kills 3 in North Waziristan Feb. 17, 2010 • US strike kills 4 in North Waziristan Feb. 15, 2010 • US strikes training camp in North Waziristan Feb. 14, 2010 • Predators pound terrorist camp in North Waziristan Feb. 2, 2010 • US airstrike targets Haqqani Network in North Waziristan Jan. 29, 2010 • US airstrike in North Waziristan kills 6 Jan. 19, 2010 • Latest US airstrike in Pakistan kills 20 Jan. 17, 2010 • US strikes kill 11 in North Waziristan Jan. 15, 2010 • US airstrike hits Taliban camp in North Waziristan Jan. 14, 2010 • US airstrike kills 4 Taliban fighters in North Waziristan Jan. 9, 2010 • US airstrike kills 5 in North Waziristan Jan. 8, 2010 • US kills 17 in latest North Waziristan strike Jan. 6, 2010 • US airstrike kills 2 Taliban fighters in Mir Ali in Pakistan Jan. 3, 2010 • US kills 3 Taliban in second strike in North Waziristan Jan. 1, 2010 (10) Find related articles: Al Qaeda, Pakistan	Donate --> Search LWJ Special Reports The Covert US Air Campaign in Pakistan Get up-to-date information and statistics on the US air campaign targeting al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan's northwest. Updated July 25, 2010 The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan A look at the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan's top leaders. The Quetta Shura A look at the Afghan Taliban's top leaders, military councils, and committees. On the Radio Bill Roggio is a regular guest on the John Batchelor Show from Monday through Friday to discuss the war. Check John's site for the time. Click here to listen live online at WABC. Photos Failed Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, from his martyrdom tape. Photos Archives Videos Swat Taliban Mullah Fazlullah. Videos Archives Multimedia Map details Taliban control in Pakistan's northwest. LWJ in the news: The Guardian, in its War Logs series, cited Bill Roggio's report on the capture of al Qaeda security chief Dr. Amin al Haq. Politico quoted Thomas Joscelyn on the trial of Gitmo detainee Omar Khadr. The Council on Foreign Relations cited LWJ's statistics on US airstrikes in Pakistan. The Guardian cited Bill Roggio's report on a Predator strike in Pakistan. Eurasianet quoted Bill Roggio on the establishment of US-funded border checkpoints and training centers across Central Asia. Dawn cited LWJ's statistics on US airstrikes in Pakistan. National Public Radio interviewed Bill Roggio about negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Times of India summarized Bill Roggio's report on the US military's identification of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistan-based groups as a direct threat to Coalition forces in Afghanistan. OneIndia summarized Bill Roggio's report on the US military's identification of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistan-based groups as a direct threat to Coalition forces in Afghanistan. UPI cited Bill Roggio's report on the death of a Taliban commander in Pakistan. The Hindustan Times quoted Bill Roggio on Lashkar-e-Taiba's operations in Afghanistan. The New York Times cited LWJ's statistics on US airstrikes in Pakistan. The Los Angeles Times cited LWJ's statistics on US airstrikes in Pakistan. The Institute for the Study of War cited Bill Roggio's report that Siraj Haqqani is on al Qaeda' Shura Majlis. The New York Times' At War quoted Bill Roggio's report on General McChrystal's statements and his likelihood of retaining his command. The American Enterprise Institute cited Bill Roggio's report on jihadist networks in Pakistan's Punjab. The London School of Economics cited Bill Roggio's report on a Haqqani Network attack in Kabul. US News and World Report cited LWJ's statistics on US airstrikes in Pakistan. The Hindustan Times quoted Bill Roggio and cited LWJ's statistics on US airstrikes in Pakistan. The Inter Press Service cited Bill Roggio's report on the number of al Qaeda camps in northwestern Pakistan. More items in the news Covert Radio Hosted by Brett Winterble

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