Increased Drone Attacks Targeting Taliban Leader

Official U.S. agency reports from this past month indicate a surge in drone attacks in the Pakistani tribal areas. A pre-dawn Sunday attack on a residential compound in the Shaktoi area of South Waziristan killed at least 20 militants, and this followed another strike in the same area last Thursday that killed 16 militants. Sunday’s strike was the tenth directed at the tribal region in just this past month. Officials indicate that the surge in attacks is part of an increased effort to track and kill Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, who allegedly frequents the area. Mehsud’s death had actually been reported after last Thursday’s strike, but militants quickly released two audio messages featuring their leader’s voice.

To read more, go to Dawn.com.