US airstrike kills 3 in North Waziristan

The US has killed three Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in its first strike in Pakistan’s tribal areas in two weeks.

Unmanned US strike aircraft targeted and hit a vehicle in Pakistan’s Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. Two Hellfire missiles launched from unmanned Predator or Reaper attack aircraft hit the vehicle as it moved in the village of Aspalga, about seven miles southeast of the main town of Miramshah.

“A car was hit by two missiles, killing three people and injuring three others,” a Pakistani security official told AFP.

“The missiles were fired from a US drone,” another official told the news service.

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not disclose the target of the strike nor would they confirm if any senior al Qaeda or Taliban leaders were killed.

The region is a stronghold of the Haqqani Network. The Haqqani family is led by Jalaluddin and his son Siraj, who serves as the military commander. The network is based in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, and has the backing of the Pakistani military and its intelligence service, as well as strong ties to al Qaeda. Siraj Haqqani is believed to be a member of al Qaeda military shura, or council, US intelligence officials told The Long War Journal.

US airstrikes inside Pakistan have tapered off since September, which saw six attacks. There were only two airstrikes in October and two in November. No senior al Qaeda or Taliban commanders were reported killed in those attacks.

US intelligence officials said a big reason for the scaleback in attacks is that al Qaeda and the Taliban have adapted to the US’ tactics, improved their operational security, and have ruthlessly killed anyone suspected of providing intelligence to the US.

Today’s strike is only the fourth since the Pakistani military launched the offensive against Hakeemullah Mehsud’s faction of the Taliban in South Waziristan on Oct. 17. Just prior to the offensive, the Pakistani Army cut a deal with Taliban leaders Hafiz Gul Bahadar in North Waziristan and Mullah Nazir in South Waziristan. The military agreed to halt attacks against those Taliban factions and allow them to use the roads, in exchange for a Taliban promise to maintain neutrality while the fighting is ongoing and to permit the passage of military convoys.

So far this year, the US has carried out 47 airstrikes inside Pakistan. In all of 2008, 36 strikes were carried out. Since the US ramped up cross-border attacks in 2008, 14 al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed [see LWJ report, “US airstrikes alone cannot defeat al Qaeda“].

Background on US strikes against al Qaeda and Taliban networks in northwestern 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.

There were 36 recorded cross-border attacks and attempts in Pakistan during 2008, according to numbers compiled by The Long War Journal. Twenty-nine of those attacks took place after Aug. 31. From 2004 through 2007, there were only 10 recorded strikes.

US attacks inside Pakistan during 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