US drones fired several missiles at a house in the Shaktoi region, straddling North and South Waziristan, killing at least 20 people. 15 of them were labeled as suspected Taliban, with the others totally unknown.
It is the third attack in the Shaktoi region in less than a week, with a Thursday attack in North Waziristan’s Pasalkot village killing 18 people. Officials say the Thursday strike was an assassination attempt against Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud.
The TTP has released two audiotapes since Thursday, apparently of Hakimullah, denying that he was injured or killed in the drone strike. Rumors of his death or at least a serious injury continue to linger.
Which is likely the source of the recent strikes in Shaktoi. A Friday attack on a house in Bichi, just outside Pasalkot, killed six people, and today’s attack is just on the South Waziristan side of the border, but also not far from Pasalkot. It seems the drones are attempting to catch a potentially injured Hakimullah while he recovers.
It was also the tenth US drone attack into Pakistan in 2010, a feverish pace compared to even the escalated pace in 2009. The US launched 44 attacks in 2009, while the present pace, if kept up, would have them launching 214 attacks in 2010.
The 2009 attacks killed only a handful of militant leaders, with the vast majority of the victims apparent civilians. Of the 2010 attacks so far only one significant militant, an al-Qaeda bodyguard named Mahmoud Mahdi Zeidan, has been confirmed killed, though the fate of Hakimullah remains uncertain.
Taliban should be proud as being the most expensive People on Earth. one Mill. per Troop on the ground for the mighty USA. to fight so-called Sheep herders ? one Trillion Dollars in war spending so far would have provided free socialized Health care for every one. what a shame that your whole house of senators is dancing to the tune of a hand full of zi – oni -sts.
hey robert get out of america
This drone war is the sickest, most cowardly, strategy in the history of war. The U.S. plays the role of the bad guys in a science fiction movie.
love those drones
no one cares.
until we have to deal with the consequences, blame the Zionist, blame who ever, just don't blame americans, how can they be expect to stop something they don't care to know about?
For every man, woman or child killed by drones, one, two or more indifferent relatives are going to join the fight…..drone killings sound like a crazy mad scientist’s folly, doesn’t he know his laws of physics…..such as for every action there IS a reaction?
If drones continue to kill and if instead of showing the enemy the constructive sides, the destructive “shock and awe” policies are practised…then…in not too far future, the waves of anti-American anger might engulf new neutral zones, zones becoming so large not all drones can reach their ends.