LAHORE: The American drones carried out a record number of 124 attacks
in the tribal areas of Pakistan in the 12 months of 2010, more than
double the number of predator strikes conducted in the 12 months of
2009, killing 1184 people, compared with 2009’s death toll of 760 in
53 such attacks.
According to figures compiled by the Pakistani authorities, on
average, the US drone attacks targeting the al-Qaeda and Taliban hide
outs in the tribal belt of Pakistan, killed 98 people every month, 23
people every week and three people every day in 2010. These attacks
recorded an overall 134 per cent increase in 2010 compared with the
2009’s figures, jumping from 53 strikes in 2009 to 124 attacks.
Similarly, an overall 56 per cent increase was recorded in the number
of people killed by the drones, compared with the 2009’s figures –
going up from 760 deaths in 2009 to 1184 in 2010. The monthly increase
in the drone-related killing ratio in 2010 [compared with the 2009]
comes to 55 while the monthly increase in the ratio of drone strikes
[compared with 2009]comes to an unprecedented 150 per cent.
Similarly, while there was a 53 per cent weekly increase in 2010 in
the number of people killed in US drones compared with 2009, an
unprecedented 130 per cent weekly increase was recorded in the number
of attacks in 2010, compared with the 2009.
Most of the drone attacks were conducted on the basis of human
intelligence, provided by both Pakistani and Afghan tribesmen, who spy
for the US-led Allied Forces stationed in Afghanistan. The figures
show that on average, ten more persons were killed by the American
drones every month and two more persons were perished in such strikes
every week, compared with 2009’s figures. Similarly, 71 more drone
attacks were carried out in Pakistan in 2010 compared with 2009’s
figure of 53. And 424 more persons lost their lives in these attacks
compared with the 2009’s total figure of 760. As always, most of those
killed by the US drones were innocent civilians. Ten groups remained
prime targets of the American predator strikes in 2010 which included
the fugitive leadership of al-Qaeda, the commanders of the Pakistani
and the Afghan Taliban, the commanders of the Islamic Jehad Group,
Uzbekistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Army of Great Britain, Brigade
313, Haqqani Militant Network, Lashkar-e-Islami and the
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
The escalation of the US predator strikes in the Pakistani tribal
areas bordering Afghanistan can be gauged from the fact that these
attacks have seen an unprecedented increase since January 2009, when
Barack Obama took over the Presidency, replacing George Bush.
According to the months-wise break-up of the drone attacks and the
subsequent human losses, 132 people were killed in 11 attacks in
January 2010, 82 persons were killed in 10 hits conducted in February,
98 people were killed in 10 more attacks in March, 47 persons were
perished in six such strikes in April, 84 people were killed in eight
drone strikes in May, 69 persons were killed in seven such assaults in
June and 66 more lost their lives in six attacks in July. But the
velocity of the deadly attacks intensified in September 2010 ever
since the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began the air campaign in
Pakistan. A record number of 21 drone attacks in September killed 145
people, followed by 16 such strikes in October, killing 136 persons.
Another 124 lost their lives in 14 drone attacks in November and 138
more were perished in ten more such attacks in December 2010.
The favourite target of the American drone strikes in 2010 remains
North Waziristan which is generally considered to be a haven for the
Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, the Haqqani Network, al-Qaeda
terrorists, and a host of Pakistani and Central and South Asian
terrorist groups. Of the 124 strikes carried out in 2010, the largest
number of 104 hit their targets in North Waziristan, killing 987
people, 10 attacks in South Waziristan killed 101 people, six attacks
in the Khyber Agency killed 82 persons and four such strikes in the
Kurram Agency perished 14 more. As per the region wise ratio, of the
1184 people killed by the US drones in 2010, 83 per cent were killed
in North Waziristan, eight per cent were killed in South Waziristan,
seven per cent were killed in Khyber Agency while one percent was
killed in Kurram Agency. Similarly, North Waziristan had to face 84
percent of the total 124 drone strikes in 2010, followed by eight per
cent attacks suffered by the residents of South Waziristan, six per
cent in Khyber Agency and three per cent in Kurram Agency.
But still, the number of the people killed in the drone attacks in
2010 was less than those killed in the incidents of suicide bombings
across Pakistan. While the American drones carried out 124 attacks in
2010, killing 1184 people, the human bombs killed a record number of
1271 Pakistanis in 53 acts of suicide bombings across Pakistan.
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