WASHINGTON: The United States has escalated air strikes against Al-Qaida fighters operating in Pakistan's tribal areas fearing that support from Islamabad may slip away, The Washington Post reported yesterday.
US officials, who were not identified, said Washington wants to inflict as much damage as it can to Al-Qaida's network.
Over the past two months, US-controlled Predator aircraft have struck at least three sites used by Al-Qaida operatives, the Post reported.
About 45 Arab, Afghan and other foreign fighters have been killed in the attacks, all near the Afghan border, US and Pakistani officials were cited as saying. Neither US nor Pakistani authorities officially confirm US missile attacks on Pakistani territory, which would be an infringement of Pakistani sovereignty.
According to the Post, the goal was partly to try to get information on senior Al-Qaida leaders, including Osama bin Laden, by forcing them to move in ways that US intelligence analysts can detect.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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