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When did the first fatal U.S. drone attack take place, and where did it occur?
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The first known fatal attack by a U.S. armed drone occurred in November 2001 in Afghanistan. During this operation, a Predator drone killed Muhammad Atef, who served as the military commander for al-Qaeda.1
While an earlier drone strike was conducted on October 7, 2001, in an attempt to target Taliban leader Mohammed Omar, that mission was unsuccessful.1