How do killing drones work? Specifically killed the Al-Qaeda leader. Others are safe – BBC News Thai

Bernd Debusmann, Jr., BBC News

and Chris Partridge, BBC weapons expert.

Just an hour after the morning sun rose on July 31, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the long-standing al-Qaeda leader. walked out onto the balcony of the house where he was hiding. Located in the heart of Kabul, Afghanistan, is a favorite activity of the former Egyptian Jihad Army leader after prayer. and became the last thing in his life

At 06.18 a.m. local time (or 08.48 a.m. Thailand time), a missile was fired into the balcony of the house. This resulted in the death of 71-year-old al-Sawahiri, but his wife and daughter inside the house were not injured. and only traces of damage from the attack were left in the middle of the balcony.

How did such a precise attack happen? In the past, US authorities have been criticized for attacking and erroneously locking targets. cause civilian deaths

But the success of this case was made possible by the type of lethal missile and the close monitoring of Sawahiri’s character. and may result in more attacks of the same kind.

The key, U.S. officials said, was the type of missile being used, the killer drone. of the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001 sabotage

Missiles (missiles) can be fired from a variety of locations. whether from a helicopter Ground vehicles, ships, fixed-wing aircraft Or, in Mr Sawahiri’s case, it was shot down by an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone).

Hellfire is believed to be a lethal weapon used by the United States to kill Iranian general Qassem Suleimani in Baghdad in early 2020 and a British IS terrorist known as Jihad John. in Syria 2015

Accuracy is one of the many reasons Hellfire has been chosen over time.

when a missile is fired from a drone Armed operators sometimes sit in remote air-conditioned control rooms in the Americas. Keep an eye on your target through live video streaming. through the sensors from the cameras of the drones sent via satellites.

Using “targeting brackets” on the screen, the camera operator can “lock” the target and aim with the laser. When the missile is fired, it will follow the laser’s trajectory until it hits the target.

The pre-operational steps are clear and sequenced, what drone operators must take before taking any action to minimize potential risks to civilians. In the past, prior to an attack by the United States Army or the US Federal Civil Intelligence Service (CIA), there was a procedure for consulting a military lawyer before ordering an attack.

Professor William Banks, Specialist in Targeted Killing and founder of the Institute for Security Policy and Law Syracuse University It said officials had to balance the risk of civilian death with the value of the target.

He added that killing Sawahiri was an act that “Sounds like a sample action plan.”

“The plan of attack was born out of prudence and determination not only to find his hiding place. And it has to be a point where at a certain point in time there will be only him as the sole target and no one else will be struck by the crossfire,” Professor Banks said.

Weapons are still unconfirmed in the plot, but it is suggested that the United States uses an unknown version of the Hellfire R9X missile, which can use six propellers to slash targets using kinetic energy.

In 2017, it was reported that Abu Khayr al-Masri, another al-Qaeda leader and one of Sawahiri’s followers. Killed by Hellfire R9X in Syria There are photographs of his vehicle after the attack that show traces on the roof where missiles passed through and killed passengers. without any traces of explosions or other vehicle damage.

Details about US news information There was before the attack, gradually being revealed.

after that attack US officials revealed that they collected enough information to understand their habits Mr. Sawahiri’s “daily schedule” when he is at home, such as how he likes to spend time on the balcony.

This could indicate that US spies have been monitoring the movement of the house for weeks. or it may be several months

Mark Polymeropoulos former CIA officer told the BBC it was possible there were several methods of searching for news. That includes the use of spying and eavesdropping on communications signals.

It is estimated that the United States They used drones or planes to spy around the site for weeks. or maybe months without anyone seeing or hearing

“You have to make sure it’s who you want in an environment without other people being hostages. or that means no civilians were injured or killed. It is something that requires a lot of patience,” he added.

Mr Polymeropoulos added: This assassination of Sawahiri is the result of decades of experience by the Secret Service in tracing Al-Qaeda and other terrorists.

“We are outstanding in this regard. What is the US government? Well done for 20 years and made Americans safer than ever.”

But in fact, the US action plan This often doesn’t go according to plan. Incidents on August 29, 2021, a drone kills a car not far north of Kabul Airport. It was targeted by the local Islamic State (IS) group but killed 10 innocent people, the Pentagon admits as a tragic mistake.

Bill Roggio, Senior Scholar at the Defense Democracy Foundation Those who have studied US drones for years say killing Sawahiri is more difficult than other targets in the past, as no US government equipment or people were found. nearby

In the past, drone attacks near Pakistan may have flown from Afghanistan. Or an attack on Syria could be carried out from US-friendly borders in Iraq.

“It’s easy for the US. to access those areas because there used to be troops in the area But now it’s more complicated than that.” He added, “It’s an attack on Al-Qaeda or Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan since the withdrawal of US forces and it’s not something that happens often.”

Rodgio said he was “not surprised” if more attacks on Al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan were to occur.

“There is no shortage of goals,” he said. “Who could be the next leader? It is possible that he will move to Afghanistan. If he wasn’t there already.”

“The question should be whether the US will still have the ability to operate like this easily Or it will become a difficult operation,” he added.