Another four militants reportedly
killed- two as they rode a motorbike, and another two who rushed to the scene after a missile killed the first two. Over seventy militants have been reportedly killed in North Waziristan during the month of September. Today's strike is the 15th such strike of what has already been a record-breaking month.
The pace of the drone strikes for September is unlike any other month since the program began. It represents a pace as relentless as the raids taking place across the border throughout insurgency-plagued Afghanistan. So far, these strikes in Pakistan for the month have focused entirely on North Waziristan, especially areas under the influence of the Haqqani Network.
Indeed, it is possible that the increased ferocity of the drone strikes is about the Haqqani Network moreso than al Qaeda Central or the other non-local militant groups present there. After all, it's the Haqqani network that is thought to be offering much of the shelter to seasoned-militants who can in turn assist their own forces across the border in Afghanistan.
Already, the pace set so far in September has forced analysts to change their projections for drone strikes in 2010. It's at about 70 already for the year, compared with 53 in all of last year.