Timeline 2004–2007 18 June 2004: The first known U.S. drone strike killed 5–8 people including Nek Muhammad Wazir and two children, in a strike near Wana, South Waziristan. Pakistan's Army initially claimed the attack as its own work. 14 May 2005: 2 killed including Haitham al-Yemeni in a strike near the Afghan border in North Waziristan. 5 November 2005: a strike destroys the house of Abu Hamza Rabia killing his wife, three children and four others. 30 November 2005: Al-Qaeda's 3rd in command, Abu Hamza Rabia killed in an attack by CIA drones in Asoray, near Miranshah, the capital of North Waziristan along with 4 other militants. Among the deaths are 8 year old Noor Aziz and 17-year-old Abdul Wasit. 13 January 2006: Damadola airstrike kills 18 civilians, in Bajaur area but misses Ayman al-Zawahri, five women, eight men, and five children are among the dead. 30 October 2006 Chenagai airstrike allegedly aimed at Ayman al-Zawahri destroys a madrassa in Bajaur area and kills 70–80 people. Pakistani military officials claim there were militants while provincial minister Siraj ul-Haq and a local eyewitness said they were innocent pupils resuming studies after the Muslim Eid holidays. 16 January 2007: Up to 30 Taliban killed in a drone strike in Salamat Keley, Zamazola, South Waziristan. 26 April 2007: 4 people killed in the village of Saidgi in North Waziristan. Habib Ullah the owner of the destroyed house, said those killed were not terrorists. 19 June 2007: 30 killed in the village of Mami Rogha in North Waziristan 2 November 2007: 5 killed in an attack on a madrasah in North Waziristan
2008 29 January 2008: Al-Qaeda's Abu Laith al-Libi killed in a strike in North Waziristan along with 12–14 others, among the dead are two women and three children.Top al-Qaeda commander 'killed', BBC, 1 February 2008 27 February 2008: 12 people killed in a strike near Kalosha village in South Waziristan.Many die in Pakistan missile strike, Al Jazeera, 28 February 2008 16 March 2008: 16–20 people killed in a strike in South Waziristan 14 May 2008: 12–15 including Abu Sulayman Al-Jazairi killed near village of Damadola, Bajaur. mirrorAl-Qaeda chief dies in missile air strike, The Guardian, 1 June 2008 14 June 2008: U.S. drones fired three missiles at a potential hideout of TTP leader Meshud, killing one person. 28 July 2008: Midhat Mursi and 5 other people killed in South Waziristan. 13 August 2008: U.S. drone strike on a compound run by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar reportedly killed Taliban commander Abdul Rehman, reportedly along with Islam Wazir, three Turkmen, and several Arab fighters. Up to 25 militants were reportedly killed in this strike. 20 August 2008: U.S. drones fire two missiles that hit a compound in South Waziristan, killing 8 militants. 30 August 2008: Missile strike on Al-Qaeda training camp in South Waziristan kills two militants carrying Canadian passports, and severely wounds Omani warlord/reggae musician Douglas al-Dokk'r. 31 August 2008: U.S. drones destroy a house in Tappi village in Miranshah, killing 6 people and injuring 8 including 1 woman and 1 child. 4 September 2008: U.S. drones fired missiles at a house in Char Khel in North Waziristan killing 4 people. 5 September 2008: U.S. drones fire three missiles, destroying a house which was potentially hosting Arab foreign fighters, killing at least six. 8 September 2008: 23 killed in Daande Darpkhel airstrike, near Miranshah, North Waziristan. 12 September 2008: The Miranshah airstrike kills 12 people and injures 14. 17 September 2008: Baghar China airstrike, U.S. drone attack in Baghar China region of South Waziristan kills 5 militants including Al Qaeda operative Abu Ubaydah al Tunisi. 23 September 2008 A U.S. drone is reportedly shot down by Pakistani troops or local militia over a tribal area of Pakistan. U.S. officials denied losing any aircraft. 30 September 2008: Six killed in a strike near Mir Ali, North Waziristan.Pakistan: US drone strike kills six people, The Daily Telegraph, 1 October 2008 3 October 2008: Two drone attacks hours apart in Datta Khel region of North Waziristan kills 21 militants including 16 foreigners. 9 October 2008: U.S. drone strike killed at least 6 militants including 3 Arabs in Tappi village near Miranshah, North Waziristan. 11 October 2008: U.S. drone strike at a militant compound in North Waziristan kills 5 people and wounds 2 others. mirror 16 October 2008: Senior Al-Qaeda leader Khalid Habib was killed in a strike near Taparghai, South Waziristan, along with five other Al Qaeda or Taliban members. 22 October 2008: 4 killed in a village near Miranshah by missiles fired from suspected U.S. drone.Strike on Village In Pakistan Kills 4; Drone Is Suspected, The New York Times, 23 October 2008 26 October 2008: 20 killed in a strike in South Waziristan.'US strike' kills Taleban leader, BBC, 27 October 2008 31 October 2008: Two missiles fired by U.S. drones kills 7 in Wana, South Waziristan. mirror 31 October 2008: 20 killed including Al-Qaeda operative Mohammad Hasan Khalil al-Hakim (alias Abu Jihad al-Masri) after 4 missiles hit Waziristan.US airstrikes kill 20 in Pakistani villages, The Times, 1 November 2008 7 November 2008: U.S. drones fire four missiles, killing up to 14 militants in Kumsham, North Waziristan. 14 November 2008: 12 killed in a strike near Miranshah.US drone strike kills 12 in Pakistan, The Times, 14 November 2008 19 November 2008: Abdullah Azam al-Saudi and 4 other militants are killed in Bannu district. 22 November 2008: British Al-Qaeda operative Rashid Rauf and 4 others including Abu Zubair al-Masri killed in a strike in North Waziristan. 29 November 2008: U.S. drone strike on Miranshah, North Waziristan kills 3 people. 11 December 2008: U.S. drone strike in Azam Warzak, South Waziristan, kills 7 militants. 15 December 2008: U.S. drone strike in Tapi Tool region near Miram Shah, North Waziristan kills 2. 22 December 2008: At least 8 killed in South Waziristan by suspected U.S. drone strike.At Least 8 Killed in Suspected US Drone Attack in India, Voice of America, 22 December 2008
2009 January to June
1 January 2009: 2 senior al-Qaeda leaders Usama al-Kini and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan killed in a missile strike by U.S. drones. 2 January 2009: U.S. drone strike in Ladha, South Waziristan kills 4 people. 23 January 2009: In the first attacks since Barack Obama became U.S. president, at least 14 killed in Waziristan in 2 separate attacks by 5 missiles fired from drones. According to the London Sunday Times, 19 people, all civilians, were killed, including four children.London Sunday Times, "Drone One Force", 3 June 2012, p. 15. One of the injured talked about his experience and recovery years after the strike. 14 February 2009: More than 30 killed when two missiles are launched by drones near town of Makeen in South Waziristan. 16 February 2009: Strike in Kurram Valley kills 30, reportedly at a Taliban training camp for fighters preparing to combat coalition forces in Afghanistan. 1 March 2009: Strike in Sararogha village in South Waziristan kills 7 people.Missiles 'kill seven' in Pakistan, BBC, 1 March 2009 12 March 2009: 24 killed in attack in Berju in Kurram Agency. 15 March 2009 4 killed in Jani Khel in Bannu district in North-West Frontier Province. 25 March 2009: 7 killed in attacks on 2 vehicles by two missiles in Makin area of South Waziristan at 6:30 pm.Drone attack reported in Pakistan, BBC, 26 March 2009 26 March 2009: 4 killed in Essokhel area in North Waziristan.Suspected US missile strike kills four in Pakistan: Officials, The Times of India, 26 March 2009 1 April 2009: 14 killed in Orakzai Agency tribal area. 4 April 2009: 13 killed in North Waziristan. 8 April 2009: 4 killed in attack on a vehicle in Gangi Khel in South Waziristan. 19 April 2009: At least 3 killed and 5 injured in an attack in South Waziristan'US strike' on Pakistan militants, BBC, 19 April 2009 29 April 2009: U.S. drone strike in Kanni Garam village in South Waziristan kills 6 people.Six dead in suspected US drone attack, Dawn (newspaper), 29 April 2009 9 May 2009: U.S. drone strike in Sararogha in South Waziristan kills 6 people.15 dead in Waziristan drone attack, ambushDawn (newspaper), 10 May 2009 12 May 2009: U.S. drone strike in Sra Khawra village in South Waziristan kills 8 people. 16 May 2009: U.S. drone strike in village of Sarkai Naki in North Waziristan with multiple missiles kills 25–29 people. According to later reports, the first missile killed a dozen Taliban preparing to cross the border into Afghanistan. At least two more missiles struck rescuers who came to their aid, killing more Taliban, but also six civilians as well.Lamb, Christina, Chris Woods, and Rahimullah Yusufzai, "Covert CIA Drones Kill Hundreds Of Civilians", London Sunday Times, 5 February 2012, p. 28. 14 June 2009: U.S. drone strike on a vehicle in South Waziristan kills 5 civilians. 18 June 2009: Two U.S. drone strikes in Shahalam village in South Waziristan kills at least 13 people. 22 June 2009: U.S. drone strike in Waziristan kills at least 150-180 civilians (including children) who were attending a funeral and were peacefully gathered.
23 June 2009: U.S. drone strike in Neej Narai in South Waziristan kills at least 8 civilians.Suspected US missile strike kills six in South Waziristan, Dawn (newspaper), 23 June 2009 23 June 2009: Makeen airstrike kills at least 80 innocents but misses Baitullah Mehsud in the town of Makeen, many of which were attending the funerals of people killed in the air strikes earlier in the day.mirror
July to December 7 July 2009: U.S. drone strike in Zangarha in South Waziristan kills at least 12 innocent people. 8 July 2009: U.S. drone strike on a hideout in Karwan Manza area and on a vehicle convoy in South Waziristan kills at least 50 people. 10 July 2009: U.S. drones take out a Taliban communication center killing between 5–8 militants in Painda Khel, South Waziristan. 17 July 2009: U.S. drone strike on a house in North Waziristan kills 4 people. 5 August 2009: U.S. drone strike in South Waziristan killed 12, including Baitullah Mehsud, his wife, and his wife's parents. The kill was confirmed after weeks of uncertainty over their fate. 11 August 2009: U.S. drone strike in Ladha village, South Waziristan, kills 10. 21 August 2009: U.S. drone strike on the village of Darpa Kheil, North Waziristan, reportedly targeting Sirajuddin Haqqani kills at least 21 people. 27 August 2009: U.S. drone missile strike on the Tapar Ghai area in the Kanigram (Kanigoram) district in South Waziristan kills up to 8 people. One of the dead was confirmed by the Taliban to be Tohir Yo‘ldosh (Tahir Yuldashev), leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. 8 September 2009: U.S. drone fired missiles kill 10 in North Waziristan. The attack may have killed al Qaeda leaders Ilyas Kashmiri and Mustafa al Jaziri as well as three Punjabi militants and two or three local Taliban fighters. 14 September 2009: U.S. drone fired missile kills four people in a car from Mir Ali in North Waziristan. 24 September 2009: U.S. drone fired missile kills up to 12 people in the village of Dande Darpa Khel near Mir Ali. 29 September 2009: Two missile attacks take place. In the first, a drone attack reportedly killed six Taliban, including two Uzbek fighters and Taliban commander Irfan Mehsud, in a compound in Sararogha village, South Waziristan. In the second, a missile killed seven insurgents in a house in Dandey Darpakhel village, North Waziristan. 30 September 2009: U.S. drones fire missiles at a Taliban compound and vehicle killing 8 in Novak, North Waziristan. 15 October 2009: U.S. drone missile killed at least four people in North Waziristan.