ISLAMABAD – The United States (US) broke its previous records of drone attacks inside Pakistan in 2010 which crossed the 100 figure, killing reportedly 930 suspected militants despite strong protest from almost all major opposition political parties of the country.
The US drones carried out 16 attacks in January, 2010 killing reportedly 96 suspected militants and around 100 suspected militants were killed in February in 13 drone attacks in the tribal region.
As many as 53 militants were killed in seven US drone attacks inside Pakistan in March 2010 while the US drones attacked Pakistani territories five times in April with reportedly 29 casualties on the ground. In nine drone attacks conducted by US forces in the months of May and June, as many as 90 alleged militants were killed in the tribal belt of Pakistan.
In seven US drone attacks in July and August, 86 people were killed mainly in North Waziristan agency while in 14 drone attacks in September, around 160 alleged terrorists were killed.
The US forces conducted as many as 11 drone attacks in October and killed 99 alleged militants and 10 drone attacks in November killed 83 suspected militants while in December, US carried out 11 drone attacks killing 134 people.
Some key figures from Taliban and Al-Qaeda were also killed in these drone attacks as a US drone strike killed Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahis, one of FBI’s most-wanted terrorists and a Palestinian suspected in a 1986 plane hijacking.
Taliban leader Qari Hussain who was also known as ‘Suicide Bomber Factory’ was killed in a drone attack in October. He was a master mind terrorist, suicide attacks expert and was involved in 90 percent of suicide attacks in Pakistan.
On January 14, a US drone targeted TTP Chief Hakeemullah Mehsud in South Waziristan Agency in FATA but he escaped and on January 16, Asmatullah Muaviya, one of the main commanders of the TTP Punjab chapter, was among the 10 persons killed in a US drone strike in South Waziristan of FATA.
A Taliban commander, Muammed Qari Zafar, wanted in connection with the 2006 bombing of the US consulate in Karachi, was killed in a suspected missile strike on February 24.
