Hellfire hits 5 al Qaeda in Pakistan

Bill Roggio:

The US has targeted another al Qaeda safe house in South Waziristan, according to reports from Pakistan.

At least five al Qaeda operatives were reported killed in the attack, which appears to have been launched by unmanned Predator aircraft hovering over the area. "Two Canadians of Arab origin" were among those killed. Two Punjabis were reported wounded.

The strike was targeted at the home of Noor Khan Wazir in the Korzai region near Wana. The home was recently rented to "foreigners."

The region is controlled by Mullah Nazir, a rival of Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud. Nazir is often described as a "pro-government" Taliban leader as he does not advocate overthrowing the Pakistani government and ejected Uzbeks from the al Qaeda-allied Islamic Jihad Union from the Wana region in 2007.

But Nazir openly supports al Qaeda and its leadership, and admitted he would provide shelter to senior al Qaeda leaders. "How can I say no to any request from Osama bin Laden or Mullah Omar under tribal traditions, if they approach me to get shelter?" Nazir asked the Pakistani press in the spring of 2007.

...

He has more on the attacks by the US in Pakistan recently. There are probably no really "safe houses" along the border with Afghanistan anymore and people who make the mistake of renting to foreigners are taking the chance of losing their asset. When combined with recent operations by Pakistani forces, the Taliban are under more pressure in Pakistan they they have ever been. While much of the world has been focusing on their attacks in Afghanistan this year they are missing the beating they are experiencing in their "sanctuary."

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