Strong indications Badruddin Haqqani killed in drone strike: US officials

Dawn.com Published August 25, 2012

A US drone flying overhead at a forward operating base near Kandahar. — Photo by AFP/File

KARACHI: Senior American officials said there were "strong indications" that Badruddin Haqqani, the operational commander of the Haqqani network, was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan this week, the New York Times reported.

"There are indications that Haqqani has met his demise,” the NYT quoted a senior US official as saying.

The official moreover said that officials were waiting to sift through evidence before they could be certain.

“Badruddin Haqqani has been at the centre of coalition attacks in Afghanistan as well as mischief in Pakistan,” said the official who requested anonymity.

So far Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region has seen five drone strikes in this month and two since Tuesday, the second day of Eid. Drones have struck three targets in Shawal and one attack was carried out in Shna Khwra near Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan. A total of 38 people have been killed and 15 wounded in the five strikes.

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Indian

Aug 25, 2012 09:11am

Pakistan should be thankful to USA for this act .

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Aamir

Aug 25, 2012 08:41am

Drones are a bad option. Others are worse. So there is no more option available then drones. Negotiations? you can only negotiate if the other party has interest in peace. If their interest is in war, negotiation becomes just another war tactic.

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hassan khan

Aug 25, 2012 08:46am

drones are targetting taliban who are not innocent , innocent people are those pakistanis who are killed by taliban.

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Aziz

Aug 25, 2012 08:34am

Hi the people of pakistan should be greatful that the leaders of other countries have both the balls and the decency to clean up the mess created by pakistani leaders and sadly very many pakistanis for themselves and the rest of the world. High time you thanked the usa , btw i am someone who is ashamed to be a former pakistani and greatful for the chance given by a foreign country to make my life a sucess. A chance that pakistan does not give its own people.

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Mr.T

Aug 25, 2012 07:37am

People of pakistan are silent on drone strike which murder innocent people or when they helps to eliminate the terrorist individuals or groups. I am sure that drone are doing more then we think or know they are doing, maybe we know after sometime...

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Yawar

Aug 25, 2012 01:44pm

...that is right, its a conspiracy I tell you. Everything that happens is Pakistan, from death of peacocks in Sind, to suicide bombings, to Lyari gang wars, to load shedding, to inflation, is nothing but a conspiracy instigated by foreign powers that want to destroy Pakistan.

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Azam Chowdhry

Aug 25, 2012 10:39am

The way the Talibans are running around unchecked and causing harm to Islam and Pakistan, there is no better way but to kill them. If they are not not killed they will continue growing.

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Badar

Aug 25, 2012 01:21pm

what proof you have that ALL those killed by drones were Taliban?

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Aug 25, 2012 12:36pm

You ignorant idiot

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ahsan

Aug 25, 2012 08:57am

they are killing TALIBAN.....period

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Anonymous

Aug 25, 2012 01:42pm

AQ you are ignorant and childish. Hassan Khan is right. I think all Taliban who use violence deserve to be eliminated if safety of Pakistan is the goal.

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Anwar

Aug 25, 2012 08:17am

We should thank God for elimination of such ruthless criminals and terrorists in remote areas. Imagine had these notorious people been alive, how much more death and destruction would they have inflicted on Pakistani society. Let's be realistic.

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