Drone attack targets Hakeemullah Mehsud

[Barrett]

Was the attack in Shaktoi or Pasalkot?
If anyone has the official version, kindly share

Thanks.

 

[TaimiKhan]

Is there some reason that H.M.'s presence in Shaktoi has been rumored to Pakistani officials but no action had been taken by ground forces of the P.A?

Do you not possess sufficient lift to have put a battalion of SSG on that village instead of PREDATOR? We found him. Your officials claim they'd heard of him there. It seems self-evident that a target of this value would have been attacked by any and every means at Pakistan's disposal.

H. Mehsud is the eye of the storm Pakistan endures. I can't imagine an assault wouldn't be appropriate. Instead, you announce that you've a team of civilian informants heading to a remote and isolated village.

My God...! Don't you think their presence might stand out like a sore thumb. After all, haven't the citizens of this area been evacuated as we've heard was the case prior to military operation Rah-I-Nijat?

Further, if so, all the more reason that to presume this to be a perfect opportunity to assault that locale.

If not, can we presume that SWA is hardly sanitized at this point and that civilians have been present within SWA during military operations-thus exposed to air-strikes and artillery from the P.A.?

Thanks.

With your above post, i seriously doubt you have military experience or should i say it can be expected out from a gunner, as he sit behind the front line and just fires the cannon, howitzer or whatever.

 

[Iggy]

i'm loving it....... US vs TTP......wow
where does indian fit in now????

 

[waraich66]

If they go up in the hills they'll be pecked to death by American hawks, if they go into the villages a pride of PA lions will maul them. So I guess there are only two items to discuss: what death to choose and where to hide.

I think he has changed his strategy and listening to MO instructions, he got credit of CIA chief and other 6 officers through balawi ,which is great achievement for AT, he should continue his new strategy and should not target PA /ISI.

 

[BATMAN]

Do you not possess sufficient lift to have put a battalion of SSG on that village instead of PREDATOR? Thanks.

Why didn't you sent marines to Tor Bora to get hold of your beloved agent OBL? what was his nick name i forgot?

let see how resourceful TTP is? can indian factor will persuade the US troops on ground to ignore terrorist and continue with civilians or we will see end of TTP.

Will british helis will come to salvage of mehsud or not it is yet to be seen.

 

[S-2]

"With your above post, i seriously doubt you have military experience...he sit behind the front line and just fires the cannon, howitzer or whatever"

Taimikhan, being doubted by you is the ultimate guarantee of my military experience. Anybody with half a brain knows there IS NO FRONT LINE in a COIN operation.

Thanks...youngster.

 

[waraich66]

"With your above post, i seriously doubt you have military experience...he sit behind the front line and just fires the cannon, howitzer or whatever"

Taimikhan, being doubted by you is the ultimate guarantee of my military experience. Anybody with half a brain knows there IS NO FRONT LINE in a COIN operation.

Thanks...youngster.

TaimiKhan Soldier is like elephant , dead is more precious

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Do you not possess sufficient lift to have put a battalion of SSG on that village instead of PREDATOR? We found him. Your officials claim they'd heard of him there. It seems self-evident that a target of this value would have been attacked by any and every means at Pakistan's disposal.

Didnt you possessed the sufficient lift to station troops along the PAK-Afghan Border having known the fact that militants will seep into Afghanistan as a result of the onslaught of Rah-e-Nijat. Man you guys could have earned some score, but you vacated those check posts, fearing the aftermath which would follow due to possible fatalities and giving them complete impunity . Now can we assume any one of the HV targets would have gone through those areas finding refuge in vastly uncovered and ideal hideout called Afghanistan . Better check those areas out ...!

 

[Awesome]

Is there some reason that H.M.'s presence in Shaktoi has been rumored to Pakistani officials but no action had been taken by ground forces of the P.A?

Do you not possess sufficient lift to have put a battalion of SSG on that village instead of PREDATOR? We found him. Your officials claim they'd heard of him there. It seems self-evident that a target of this value would have been attacked by any and every means at Pakistan's disposal.

H. Mehsud is the eye of the storm Pakistan endures. I can't imagine an assault wouldn't be appropriate. Instead, you announce that you've a team of civilian informants heading to a remote and isolated village.

My God...! Don't you think their presence might stand out like a sore thumb. After all, haven't the citizens of this area been evacuated as we've heard was the case prior to military operation Rah-I-Nijat?

Further, if so, all the more reason that to presume this to be a perfect opportunity to assault that locale.

If not, can we presume that SWA is hardly sanitized at this point and that civilians have been present within SWA during military operations-thus exposed to air-strikes and artillery from the P.A.?

Thanks.

Let me get back to you after look into my crystal ball. Why the heck are you asking these questions, there are a million and one explanations. The kill is not even confirmed, things will unravel over a few days.

 

[Awesome]

Pakistan Taliban chief tape emerges post-strike - washingtonpost.com

He's probably alive, hopefully sufficiently injured to succumb to his wounds.

I just hope he doesn't get enough time to name a successor at the next shura council. Pakistan and the drone team should be on the look out for a Shura meeting as they usually follow such incidents.

 

[Awesome]

May I remind you trigger happy folks, the fight is out there not in here.

 

[TaimiKhan]

"With your above post, i seriously doubt you have military experience...he sit behind the front line and just fires the cannon, howitzer or whatever"

Taimikhan, being doubted by you is the ultimate guarantee of my military experience. Anybody with half a brain knows there IS NO FRONT LINE in a COIN operation.

Thanks...youngster.

In excitement to reply my post, it seems you couldn't read it well or should i say understand it will enough.

But still as you are the so called ultimate military strategist, can you point out where did i said front line in COIN environment ???

I talked about the conventional war front line where the gunner sits behind and fires his cannon, as people with such job can be expected to ask question or post posts like the one i commented on.

You seriously need to read posts properly before you jump to answer them.

 

[Xeric]

AFP: Pakistani Taliban release audio of leader

Pakistani Taliban release audio of leader

By S.H. Khan (AFP) – 3 hours ago

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The Pakistani Taliban released an audio recording allegedly made Friday of leader Hakimullah Mehsud denying he had been killed in a US bombing raid, as the military investigated the reports.

Missiles fired from an unmanned US aircraft killed at least 15 Islamist insurgents at a training camp in Pakistan's lawless northwest tribal belt Thursday, and security officials said Mehsud may have been among the dead.

Another drone strike in North Waziristan tribal district killed at least five militants on Friday, but it was not immediately clear if any leaders had been killed, Pakistani officials said.

The government and the army say they cannot confirm Mehsud's death while the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group he commands say he is alive and well, and sent the recording to media Friday to back up their claims.

Reporters familiar with Mehsud said the voice appeared to be his, but there was no mention of dates or the bombing alleged to have killed him, making it impossible to confirm if it was recorded before or after Thursday's strike.

"Sometimes they (the government) launch propaganda about my martyrdom through media and sometimes they say that the operation has been completed in South Waziristan. This can never happen," Mehsud said.

He was referring to military operations against Taliban strongholds launched last year in the tribal district of South Waziristan.

Hakimullah Mehsud assumed leadership of the group blamed for the deaths of thousands of people in attacks across Pakistan after his predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a US drone strike in August last year.

The TTP denied Baitullah Mehsud's death for weeks, apparently amid fierce infighting over his successor.

Hakimullah Mehsud himself had to counter rumours of his own demise at the hands of a rival militant in October, prompting the militant chief to make a number of audio and video statements denying he had been killed.

Conflicting reports emerged from intelligence agents and security officials in the northwest on Friday, with some saying Mehsud was injured, while others said the TTP chief and some of his top commanders were likely killed.

The US strike hit in a remote and mountainous area between the districts of North and South Waziristan, and the military's spokesman said access to the Taliban-controlled area was one hurdle in obtaining information.

"So far we do not have confirmation of him either getting killed or getting injured. It will take a little more time to confirm this or otherwise," military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP.

"Intelligence agencies are at their work, they are trying to probe and find out from their sources."

The TTP has already issued a number of statements denying Mehsud's death, and on Friday militant spokesman Azam Tariq said his boss had left the Shaktoi area pounded by the missiles "40 to 60 minutes" before the strike. Facts about US military robots

"Hakimullah is alive and safe. I met with him last night, there was not even a scratch on him," Tariq told AFP by telephone.

Friday's fresh drone missile strike took place in Zanini village near the town of Mir Ali, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) east of Miranshah, the main town of restive North Waziristan tribal district.

"US drones fired four missiles at a militant compound and according to initial information at least five militants were killed," a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

More than 700 people have been killed in around 80 US drone strikes since August 2008, with a surge in 2009 under US President Barack Obama. Eight drone strikes have hit the tribal northwest this month alone.

The bombings fuel anti-American sentiment in Muslim Pakistan, and the TTP repeatedly vow to avenge the raids.

"I want to caution the Pakistani nation that the drone attacks in tribal areas are a danger to Pakistan's security and sovereignty," Mehsud said in the recording issued Friday.

"From now onwards, any dangerous step that the Taliban will take in Pakistan, the responsibility will be on the government."

With Washington pressing Islamabad to tackle militants who use its soil to launch attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan's armed forces last year carried out multiple assaults on TTP strongholds across the tribal belt.

Despite the offensives, attacks blamed on the TTP show no sign of abating, with bombings increasingly hitting civilians. On January 1, about 100 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a volleyball game in a northwest town.

 

[Naradmuni]

Guess how would TTP retaliate to this.

 

[TaimiKhan]

Guess how would TTP retaliate to this.

What is there to guess ???

Do tell us your guess, as we don't need to guess, we know.