SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Anti-drone protest at an MLK day parade January 21, 2013, in Hawai'i. (Photo: Debra Sweet)
Blowback From US Drone Strikes on Pakistan Leaves 10 Civilians Dead
Pakistani Taliban take responsibility for attack, say it is in retaliation for drone strike last month
Feb 02, 2013
Blowback from U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan has left 10 civilians, including three women and three children, dead on Saturday, victims of an hours-long assault at a Pakistani army base.
Media reports add that 13 security personnel and 12 people described as militants were also killed in the attack.
The New York Times reports:
According to initial details, Taliban militants, armed with heavy machine guns, fired rockets in the predawn assault at the base in Serai Norang in the Lakki Marwat district, setting off a heavy gun battle that lasted for several hours. [...]
During the attack, one of the suicide bombers entered a house near the camp and detonated his explosives, killing the women and children, the [Pakistani army] official said.
Pakistani Taliban took responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for a Jan. 6 U.S. drone strike that killed two Taliban commanders, and Pakistan's cooperation with such attacks.
"Pakistan has been co-operating with the U.S in its drone strikes that killed our two senior commanders, Faisal Khan and Toofani, and the attack on military camp was the revenge of their killing," a Taliban spokesman said, according to Reuters.
"This attack was to avenge the deaths of two of our commanders who had been killed in a drone attack last month," Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told CNN.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which tracks the U.S. covert war on terror, noted that the "CIA began 2013 with six drone strikes in nine days - more in any single month since August 2012. And, with double the number of strikes in Jan. 2013 compared to Jan. 2012, "2013 could see renewed intensity in the CIA drone program."
Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta sees no end to U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan or elsewhere, he told Agence France-Presse in an interview on Friday.
"It's been an important part of our operations against Al-Qaeda, not just in Pakistan, but also in Yemen, in Somalia and I think it ought to continue to be a tool we ought to use where necessary," Panetta said.
"And also where we can use it in conjunction with other countries that are pursuing the same goal," he said.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Blowback from U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan has left 10 civilians, including three women and three children, dead on Saturday, victims of an hours-long assault at a Pakistani army base.
Media reports add that 13 security personnel and 12 people described as militants were also killed in the attack.
The New York Times reports:
According to initial details, Taliban militants, armed with heavy machine guns, fired rockets in the predawn assault at the base in Serai Norang in the Lakki Marwat district, setting off a heavy gun battle that lasted for several hours. [...]
During the attack, one of the suicide bombers entered a house near the camp and detonated his explosives, killing the women and children, the [Pakistani army] official said.
Pakistani Taliban took responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for a Jan. 6 U.S. drone strike that killed two Taliban commanders, and Pakistan's cooperation with such attacks.
"Pakistan has been co-operating with the U.S in its drone strikes that killed our two senior commanders, Faisal Khan and Toofani, and the attack on military camp was the revenge of their killing," a Taliban spokesman said, according to Reuters.
"This attack was to avenge the deaths of two of our commanders who had been killed in a drone attack last month," Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told CNN.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which tracks the U.S. covert war on terror, noted that the "CIA began 2013 with six drone strikes in nine days - more in any single month since August 2012. And, with double the number of strikes in Jan. 2013 compared to Jan. 2012, "2013 could see renewed intensity in the CIA drone program."
Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta sees no end to U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan or elsewhere, he told Agence France-Presse in an interview on Friday.
"It's been an important part of our operations against Al-Qaeda, not just in Pakistan, but also in Yemen, in Somalia and I think it ought to continue to be a tool we ought to use where necessary," Panetta said.
"And also where we can use it in conjunction with other countries that are pursuing the same goal," he said.
Blowback from U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan has left 10 civilians, including three women and three children, dead on Saturday, victims of an hours-long assault at a Pakistani army base.
Media reports add that 13 security personnel and 12 people described as militants were also killed in the attack.
The New York Times reports:
According to initial details, Taliban militants, armed with heavy machine guns, fired rockets in the predawn assault at the base in Serai Norang in the Lakki Marwat district, setting off a heavy gun battle that lasted for several hours. [...]
During the attack, one of the suicide bombers entered a house near the camp and detonated his explosives, killing the women and children, the [Pakistani army] official said.
Pakistani Taliban took responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for a Jan. 6 U.S. drone strike that killed two Taliban commanders, and Pakistan's cooperation with such attacks.
"Pakistan has been co-operating with the U.S in its drone strikes that killed our two senior commanders, Faisal Khan and Toofani, and the attack on military camp was the revenge of their killing," a Taliban spokesman said, according to Reuters.
"This attack was to avenge the deaths of two of our commanders who had been killed in a drone attack last month," Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told CNN.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which tracks the U.S. covert war on terror, noted that the "CIA began 2013 with six drone strikes in nine days - more in any single month since August 2012. And, with double the number of strikes in Jan. 2013 compared to Jan. 2012, "2013 could see renewed intensity in the CIA drone program."
Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta sees no end to U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan or elsewhere, he told Agence France-Presse in an interview on Friday.
"It's been an important part of our operations against Al-Qaeda, not just in Pakistan, but also in Yemen, in Somalia and I think it ought to continue to be a tool we ought to use where necessary," Panetta said.
"And also where we can use it in conjunction with other countries that are pursuing the same goal," he said.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.