ISLAMABAD: The “complicated” relationship between the US and Pakistan has been thrown on “razer edge” and ties could become more “nasty” after the killing of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in an American drone strike inside Pakistan, media here said today.
Delving into the the possible impact of the drone attack, The Nation said that “complicated ties between Pakistan and the US could be on course to become nasty after Osama bin Laden-style US strike deep inside Pakistan over the weekend to kill Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour.”
The US and Pakistan differ on countering Taliban, and Washington believes Islamabad was playing double-game with them, especially on Afghanistan peace, it said in the report headlined ‘Mansour strike throws Pak-US ties on the razor edge.’
It also cited the US aid restrictions over the F-16 fighter jets deal between the two countries.
The News reported that the strike, authorised by President Barack Obama, which included multiple drones, “showed the US was prepared to go after the Taliban leadership.”
Dawn in its report said the death of the Mansour shows that US stepped across the “red line” when it launched the first-ever drone strike in Pakistan’s Baluchistan area.
According to its report, there have been about 391 drone strikes by the US in Pakistani territory, primarily targeting Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders since 2004.
All but four of these strikes took place in the tribal agencies. The only previously reported strikes that took place in settled areas were in Hangu district (2013) and three in Bannu (2008), it reported citing the database maintained by Long War Journal.(Agencies)
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