Pakistani Taliban Leader Reported Dead

'Fast and furious' drone campaign hits Qaeda, Taliban hard

(NEWSER) - Stepped-up CIA drone attacks in the Pakistani region of North Waziristan have hit al-Qaeda and the Taliban hard in recent months, forcing many militants to retreat to mountain tunnels and placing the Haqqani leaders under increasing pressure. Bombardment of the militant stronghold has become "fast and furious" this year, the New York Times reports in an article that offers a rare look at the situation in the inaccessible region. More»

But drone critics say covert program still needs greater oversight

(NEWSER) - The Pakistani public widely believes that American drone strikes there overwhelmingly hit civilians, not militants. However, an investigation of the 10 deadliest attacks over the past 18 months in the main militant region along the Afghan border shows that 70% of those killed were militants, according to an investigation by the AP . But, of the 56 civilians killed, 38 were from one major attack on March 17 , meaning that the rest of the drone attacks have a civilian death rate of just more than 10%. More»

Drone strike indicates again that drones are back in action in Pakistan.

(AP) - A US drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's northwest tribal region today, killing five suspected militants, according to intelligence officials. The Taliban identified one of them as Badar Mansoor, a prominent commander who has served as a key link to al-Qaeda. Mansoor led a group of more than 200 Pakistani Taliban fighters in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for militants in Pakistan, said a fellow insurgent. More»

(NEWSER) - Weeks after a US drone reportedly took out the Taliban's leader in Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud's fellow commanders have confirmed his death. Two Taliban officials—including his successor, Hakimullah Mehsud—tell the BBC that their leader actually died Sunday after being critically injured in the airstrike. The development also clears up rumors about Hakimullah Mehsud, thought to be in his late 20s: some reports had him killed in an internal power struggle. More»

(NEWSER) - The American hunt for Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud—implicated, among other things, in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto—took two major twists today in Pakistan. Early reports suggest that a US military drone killed about 60 suspected militants after the funeral of an insurgent commander in South Waziristan near the Afghan border, reports the New York Times. The attack is part of a stepped-up US-Pakistani effort to go after Mehsud, who was in the area but unhurt, notes Reuters. More»