Drones attacks – What’s been happening since 2013?

After the current Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led government took charge, just 46 drone strikes were carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), killing around 286 militants, according to a report by Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies.

The trophy target during these attacks was the former chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hakeemullah Mehsud.

Drone attacks spiked during 2010 with over 117 attacks, that number has fallen significantly with only 28 attacks during 2013, 22 in 2014, and just nine till date, for the current year.

A vast majority of the attacks (39) have taken place in the North Waziristan area, while South Waziristan followed second with three attacks and Khyber and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were attacked with drones one time each, since 2013.

A large chunk of the effort went into wiping out the TTP, as 16 attacks were mainly targeting them, and the Haqqani group which was attacked with seven drones. Surprisingly, it is unclear what the largest number of drones (18) were targeting.

The drone attacks managed to kill not only Hakeemullah Mehsud, but also took down Waliur Rehman, the second in command. While Mehsud died in Miranshah along with six of his bodyguards, Rehman was killed with three others in North Waziristan.

Of the Haqqani network Mullah Sangeen Zardran was killed along with Molvi Ahmad Jan. During the attacks, American hostage Warren Weinstein and Italian Lo Porto were also killed.