Since 2004, the US has been conducting a covert program to target and kill al Qaeda and Taliban commanders based in Pakistan's lawless northwest. The program has targeted top al Qaeda leaders, al Qaeda's external operations network, and Taliban leaders and fighters that threaten both the Afghan and Pakistani states. The charts below look at the number of US airstrikes inside Pakistan per year; civilian casualties vs. Taliban/al Qaeda casualties; the distribution of strikes by tribal agencies; the territories targeted; and the distribution of high value targets killed in territories managed by individual Taliban commanders.
The US ramped up the number of strikes in July 2008, and has continued to regularly hit at Taliban and al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan. There have been 110 strikes total since the program began in 2004; 100 of those strikes have taken place since January 2008.
Since 2006, there have been 1,019 leaders and operatives from Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied extremist groups killed and 94 civilians killed. Data for 2004 and 2005 are not available at this time.
Of the 110 strikes since 2004, 52.3% have hit targets in North Waziristan, and 39.4% have hit targets in South Waziristan.
Mullah Nazir and both Waliur and Baitullah Mehsud are based in South Waziristan; the Haqqanis, Hafiz Gul Bahadar, and Abu Kasha al Iraqi are based in North Waziristan; Hakeemullah Mehsud is based in Arakzai; and Faqir Mohammed is based in Bajaur. Two bases operated by Gulbiddin Hekmatyar were hit in South Waziristan. The Taliban territorial ownership was not able to be determined for seven of the strikes.
More al Qaeda leaders have been killed in Mullah Nazir's territory than in the territory of any other Taliban leader. The Pakistani government considers Nazir to be a 'good Taliban' as he does not carry out attacks against the Pakistani state. The Haqqanis, Bahadar, and Hekmatyar are also considered good Taliban by the Pakistanis. All of these groups shelter al Qaeda and various terror groups.
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