US drone strike kills al Qaeda’s chief in Pakistan

US drone strike kills al Qaeda’s chief in Pakistan

US missiles on Thursday, February 09, 2012 killed al Qaeda’s chief in Pakistan, one of Americans’ main targets and wanted for attacks that killed scores of people.

Badr Mansoor, who according to sources used to send fighters to Afghanistan and ran a training camp in North Waziristan, was killed in a pre-dawn drone strike on a compound near the Afghan border.

“He died in the missile attacks overnight in Miranshah. His death is a major blow to al Qaeda’s abilities to strike in Pakistan,” a senior Pakistani official said.

His death was confirmed by one of his loyalists.

“Badr Mansoor was killed in the missile attack,” a militant among his group confirmed by telephone.

Intelligence officials in North Waziristan said Mansoor had been killed, but other Pakistani officials were not sure.

“We’re not sure. We cannot give confirmation just like that,” one of them told on condition of anonymity.

A US drone attack targeting a militant compound, killed four insurgents in North Waziristan, early morning on Thursday, security officials said.

Two missiles hit the compound located in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, near the Afghan border, according to official sources.

The incident and death toll were confirmed by intelligence sources.

“Taliban fighters had started hiding here in rented buildings and those killed are believed to be militants,” one official said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Officials said the death toll could rise because of damage to buildings next to the one targeted by the drone.

This strike followed a drone attack, earlier, on Wednesday on a compound in Tappi, 10 kilometres (six miles) southeast of Miranshah, which security officials said killed 10 insurgents.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=12283

Posted by Ammar Ahmad on Feb 10 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry