US Strike Kills 5 in al-Qaeda Haven

US Predators conducted the fourth strike in Pakistan in four days in a region that is a known hub for al Qaeda's top leadership.

Unmanned Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired two missiles today at a vehicle in the village of Khar Qamar in the Datta Khel region in North Waziristan. Five "rebels" were killed in the strike, Pakistani intelligence officials told Dawn.

No senior Taliban or al Qaeda commanders have been reported killed in the strike, and the target of the attack is not known.

Datta Khel is the stronghold of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, a Taliban commander who is viewed as "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military as he does not advocate attacks on the Pakistani state. Bahadar supports attacks in Afghanistan and shelters al Qaeda fighters in tribal areas under his control.

The last three strikes in Pakistan have all taken place in Datta Khel. Nine Taliban fighters, including a commander known as Inayatullah, were killed in a strike on a compound in Datta Khel on Sept. 3. And eight Taliban fighters were killed in a strike on a compound and a vehicle in Datta Khel on Sept. 4.

Today's strike is the 58th this year. The US exceeded last year's strike total of 53 with a strike in Kurram late last month. In 2008, the US carried out 36 strikes inside Pakistan.

All but six of this year's 58 strikes have taken place in North Waziristan. Of the six strikes that have occurred outside of North Waziristan, four took place in South Waziristan, one occurred in Khyber, and one took place in Kurram.

Since July 2008, unmanned US Predator and Reaper strike aircraft have been pounding Taliban and al Qaeda hideouts in the tribal areas in an effort to kill senior terror leaders and disrupt the networks that threaten Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the West.