ILYAS Kashmiri's reported killing in a drone attack on Friday will be mourned by few. The commander of the banned Harkatul Jihad al Islami, Kashmiri was alleged to have been behind a number of horrific attacks on foreigners and Pakistani targets. He is also suspected of having had a role in the Mumbai carnage of 2008. With close links to the Pakistani Taliban and Al Qaeda, he was even touted as a possible successor to Osama bin Laden. Apparently on Islamabad's and Washington's list of the top five most-wanted terrorists, the significance of his killing should not be undermined by the devastating attacks that continue to rock Pakistan. American drones have once again proved their efficacy in taking out dangerous militants, resulting in at least some level of disruption in the terrorists' ranks.

Although routinely criticised as unilateral American strikes to hit militants and their sanctuaries, the drone attack in Ilyas Kashmiri's case was, according to the western media, a coordinated effort by Pakistan and the US. This is a positive sign, coming as it does following the rupture in ties in the wake of the Osama bin Laden raid by US Navy SEALs last month. In fact, considering the success of the strike on Ilyas Kashmiri and fellow militants, it would be worthwhile for the two countries to work towards a more transparent and coordinated drone policy, with the Americans realising how imperative it is to carry out the strikes with Pakistan's knowledge and approval. There have been valid public concerns about the violation of Pakistan's sovereignty caused by operations such as the Abbottabad raid and the drone strikes in the northwest. To identify the common enemy and then jointly work towards eliminating it would allay public perceptions of the strikes being an intrusion; in other words both sides need to come clean on the drone policy so that misgivings are kept at bay and the way is cleared for an unequivocal joint stance. Considering more such strikes are imminent — the most recent one came on Monday — honesty and transparency in military dealings cannot be underrated.

For the terrorists, the lines between civilian and military targets are becoming increasingly blurred, with scores of civilians dying in bloody attacks. This was exemplified by the Sunday night attack on a bakery in Nowshera. Although the facility was run by the army, those who died included not only the relatives of security personnel but also other members of the general public. The militants knew full well who their victims would include, indicating that there is no let-up in their strategy of terrorising the public.