Blasts reported near Pakistan-Afghan border

MSNBC ^ | 6-20-07

[SevenMinusOne]

17 Taliban fighters at madrassa were said to be killed

MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan - Explosions at a suspected militant hideout in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border on Tuesday caused casualties, the army said.

Three missiles fired from Afghanistan destroyed a training facility in Pakistan, killing 17 militants and wounding 10 others, according to an intelligence official in North Waziristan.

But Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad claimed that the explosions were caused when bombs militants were making at an isolated compound exploded accidentally.

The intelligence official said it was a local Taliban militant training facility, housed in a big mud-brick compound in the border village of Mami Rogha, about 25 miles west of Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan.

He provided no further details but maintained the compound had been hit by missiles fired from Afghanistan.

Other Pakistani intelligence officials, who also requested anonymity, said the compound lay about two miles inside Pakistan and was surrounded by forests. The officials said some militants were sitting in an open area of a madrassa, or Islamic seminary, when they were attacked, but they could not confirm whether the missiles were fired from Afghanistan.

[Dog]

Dev....death toll is now 32..and climbing.

[Dog]

Target ID'ed....they were trying to take out a biggie.

Abu Laith al-Libi, an al Qaeda field commander, was the target of the attack, sources said.

[Cap Huff]

Thanks for that important detail.

[Dog]

Here is his photo..

[Cap Huff]

My eyes must be going bad. I don’t see him . . .

[Dog]

Here he is..

[csvset]

Wow, an explosion at a bomb making camp. This so soon after AQ released the “graduation” video. Any chance that this is the same camp?

[SevenMinusOne]

Wait till the Helipad going up in Kunar is fully operational -

[Straight Vermonter]

You probably know already but al-Libi is the guy behind the bomb attack during Cheney’s visit to Afghanistan. The attack killed 23 outside a US base.

I’m sure they wanted him really bad.

There are also indications that he operates independently of OBL’s orders and that there may be something of a rivalry between the two.

[fso301]

Other Pakistani intelligence officials, who also requested anonymity, said the compound lay about two miles inside Pakistan and was surrounded by forests. The officials said some militants were sitting in an open area of a madrassa, or Islamic seminary, when they were attacked

Hmm. An Islamic seminary was hit. That means there were lots of secondary explosions.

[SevenMinusOne]

Abu Laith al-Libi is a big HVT (and a big SOB, with a big mouth)......But RUMINT has it he was the target for the hit inside Stan (Paktika)....Not the target for this strike inside PAK.....

[PGalt]

BTTT!

[Marine_Uncle]

Could have been an accidental explosion by dopes that don’t know what the hell they are doing.... or....