US airstrike kills 10 in North Waziristan

Unmanned US strike aircraft fired missiles at a Taliban compound today in a known al Qaeda haven in the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan.

Two Predators, or the more deadly Reapers, fired four missiles at a compound in the village of Mohammed Khel, a known Taliban haven.

Six “terrorists” were initially reported killed in the attack, AFP reported, but it is unclear if they are Taliban fighters, al Qaeda operatives, or fighters from the multitude of jihadist groups operating in Pakistan’s tribal areas. A later report indicated 10 were killed, including a woman and a child.

No senior al Qaeda or Taliban leaders have been reported killed at this time.

Today’s airstrike took place in a region administered by North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar. Al Qaeda and allied Pakistani and Central Asian jihadist groups shelter in Bahadar’s tribal areas, and they also run training camps and safe houses in the region.

Despite the known presence of al Qaeda and other foreign groups in North Waziristan, the Pakistani military has indicated that it has no plans to take on Bahadar or the Haqqani Network, a deadly Taliban group that is closely allied with al Qaeda. Bahadar and the Haqqanis are considered “good Taliban” by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

Today’s strike is the sixth reported inside Pakistan this month. So far this year, the US has carried out 37 strikes in Pakistan; all but one of the strikes this year have taken place in North Waziristan. The last airstrike, on May 15, occurred in the tribal agency of Khyber.

The US is well on its way to exceeding last year’s strike total in Pakistan. 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.”]

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. [For more information, see LWJ report, “Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 – 2010.”]

US strikes in Pakistan in 2010:

• US airstrike kills 6 in North Waziristan

May 21, 2010

• US Predators carry out first strike in Khyber

May 15, 2010

• US pounds Taliban in pair of strikes in North Waziristan

May 11, 2010

• US airstrike kills 10 ‘rebels’ in North Waziristan

May 9, 2010

• US airstrike kills 4 ‘militants’ in North Waziristan

May 3, 2010

• US strike kills 8 Taliban in North Waziristan