As I expected the Spring Offensive has begun – but it is the US and allied forces who are on the move and hunting down terrorists. The US has struck again at targets inside the tribal areas of Pakistan:

A decisive Coalition strike against a high-level meeting of Taliban-linked insurgents on March 12 took place one and a half kilometers inside Pakistani territory, US military officials have confirmed to The Long War Journal. Several precision-guided munitions struck a compound owned by a senior member of the Haqqani Network, a powerful Taliban splinter group that is based in the Pakistani tribal state of North Waziristan. The strike occurred shortly after multiple intelligence sources confirmed the presence of the group’s upper echelon inside the compound. Several other high-level Haqqani commanders, including Sirajjudin Haqqani, had planned to attend this meeting, intelligence sources confirmed.

As I noted a while back President Musharraf has allowed an increase in US and UK Special Forces inside Pakistan who, on limited high value targets, can take action if necessary:

Initially, U.S. trainers would be restricted to training compounds, but could eventually accompany Pakistani troops on missions against the militants, a senior U.S. military official said. Britain is also considering a similar training mission in Pakistan, according to the Times.

More here, here, here and here. So we are on the hunt against the gathering al-Qaeda forces who probably fled Iraq as their Iraqi support collapsed and in fact started hunting them down. One of their prime targets is Taliban leader and al-Qaeda supporter Baitullah Mehsud, who has been charged in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and is tied to many of the recent bombings in Pakistan.

The Taliban and al-Qaeda are probably freaking out because of the new swarm of precision attacks. This is the second major hit on their leadership this year. Now they are executing people feared to be US spies (and sadly may actually be). No one can say Muslims are not risking their lives to rid this world of al-Qaeda’s brutal vision.

New reader cj_thespook left this comment on my previous post: “My husband is there and I can tell you the Marines are arriving and more on the way! Get ready to RUMBLEEEEE!!”. Damn straight – Semper Fi! It is time al-Qaeda’s leadership now experienced a little American justice.

Update: I meant to note that the gathering of leaders may have been associated with some Taliban forces and a key leader stopped and killed trying to enter into Pakistan around the same time. Seems we can get them coming and going at the moment.