List of military strikes against presumed terrorist targets

This article documents military strikes by governments against presumed terrorist targets outside war zones. For an event to qualify, it must involve military weapons and the target must be thought by the government ordering the strike to be of terrorist nature. The most recent events appear first.

2008 Abu Kamal raid
The Abu Kamal in Syria raid took place on 26 October 2008 was performed by United States helicopters and troops. Unnamed spokesmen for the USA claim that high ranking terrorist Abu Ghadiyah was killed. He was targeted for allegedly smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq as part of an attack and for killing 11 Iraqi policeman in the spring. The Syrian Government claims eight unarmed civilians were killed.

2008 Kurvek airstrike
The Kurvek airstrike on 5 September 2008 killed at least five people in Pakistan's border region, Pakistani officials say. The third attack in three days allegedly carried out by US forces.

2008 Dhusamareb airstrike
The Dhusamareb airstrike took place on 1 May 2008 when either several US aircraft or a ship offshore launched a missile attack against a target in the Dhuusamarreeb region in central Somalia. The attack was targeted against the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab. Eleven people were killed in the strike, among them two leading militants and five civilians. Four others were injured.

2006 Damadola airstrike
17 people were killed in a RQ-1 Predator airstrike on Damadola (Pakistan), near the Afghan border. The CIA operation was targeting Al Qaeda's number two Ayman al-Zawahri who was initially reported killed in the attack. According to U.S. counterterrorism officials who spoke to NBC News, the attack was conducted by three drones simultaneously attacking three targets. DNA testing could find no evidence of terrorists among the dead.

Sources:


 * The drone, the CIA and a botched attempt to kill bin Laden's deputy Guardian.co.uk January 15, 2006


 * Pakistan summons US envoy over raid Pakistanis protest against US strike Al Jazeera January 15, 2006


 * Anatomy of the airstrike in Pakistan MSNBC January 17, 2006

2002 Yemen drone strike
On November 3, 2002, a RQ-1 Predator fired a Hellfire missile at a car in Yemen. Al Qaeda leader Qaed Senyan Abu Ali al-Harithi was the target and is believed to have been killed according to U.S. official. The attack also killed five other men including an American citizen suspected of belonging to Al Qaeda. Sources:


 * US defends Yemen strike BBC News 10 November 2002


 * Yemen drone strike: just the start? Jane's 8 November 2002


 * U.S. Citizen Among Those Killed In Yemen Predator Missile Strike. The Tech November 8, 2002


 * U.S. missile strike kills al Qaeda chief CNN November 5, 2002


 * Steve Scher on Weekday – February 23, 2007 KUOW-FM interviews James Bamford on the National Security Agency (Note: minutes 21–24 of 54 minute audio)

1998 Sudan and Afghanistan cruise missile strikes
On August 21, 1998, President Clinton ordered a strikes against two suspected Afghan terrorist training camps and a suspected Sudanese chemical factory. President Clinton cited terrorist attacks against U.S. Embassies in Africa as the reason for ordering the missions.