Posted on 02/29/2008 10:09:56 AM PST by gandalftb
PESHAWAR - At least 13 militants, including some foreigners, were killed and 11 others were critically injured as three missiles, allegedly fired by the US forces, hit a house in Kaloshah area of Wana District in South Waziristan Agency on Thursday, eyewitnesses said.
However, the locals informed that three missiles fired from an unknown direction hit the house of Malik Khel Wazir at Shero Village, Kaloshah Azam Warsak area at midnight, killing at least 12 people, mostly foreigners, and injuring 11 others critically.
Exact identity and strength of the foreigners killed in the incident has not yet been determined, but the locals informed that they were either from Arab countries or Central Asia.
An Al-Qaeda fugitive from Egypt is also reported to be among them.
However, the officials claimed that there was a seminary near the house, which was used by the militants as a shelter. It is highly believed that the US forces, either from Afghanistan side or from Arabian Sea, fired the missiles. Residents of Azam Warsak village in South Waziristan told AFP that a house was blown up by a missile fired from a pilotless drone and the loud blast was heard kilometres away in the rugged valley. “A house used as a den by Al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban militants was hit by a missile. Thirteen people were killed and around 10 were wounded,” a senior Pakistani security official told AFP. The militants were using the house as an “operational base” for attacks on NATO-led and US troops in Afghanistan, as well as a meeting place for Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants, the official said. Chief military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas told AFP that information from the area indicated that the deaths were caused by explosive material stored in a house.
(Excerpt) Read more at nation.com.pk ...
VAA- VOOM!
Is this an update of this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1977511/posts
or another strike altogether?
Shhweeet. Nice shooting guys, whoever you are... :-)
Remember this " missile "?
OK..multitasking here...LOL. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
Adam Gadahn is still missing since early February, the last time we blew up a Talibunny strong-hold.
The good news just keeps on coming!
The Nation is your source for the possible demise of Ayman?
LOL...oh yeah....wasn’t it a fake bomb or pic or something?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1967984/posts
Adam Gadahn Rumored Killed
The Long War Journal ^ | 2/9/2008 | Left Coast Republican
Posted on 02/10/2008 3:16:03 AM PST by Left Coast Republican
By Bill RoggioFebruary 8, 2008 6:49 PM Gadhan.jpg
Adam Gadahn.
One day after a Pakistani newspaper reported al Qaeda propagandist Adam Gadahn may have been killed in the same airstrike that killed al Qaeda leader Abu Laith al Libi, the rumor remains unconfirmed.
Speculation over Gadahn’s presence at the al Qaeda safe house in North Waziristan began on Jan. 29, the day of the airstrike. An unnamed US official denied Gadahn was killed in the strike. But on Feb. 7, The News reported, based on statements from Western sources, that Gadahn was killed in the airstrike.
Sounds like some great intel lead to good “Kills” for our side and probably a lot more good intel at the site.
Excellent news!
Oh lawd that was funny. They could have at least glued on some balsa wood fins and spray painted “hi I am not arty” on the side of it. ; )
Note from the Islamist Travel Agency:
Due to unexpected US military activity all Spring Break activities in South Waziristan tribal regions will be cancelled.
Compound was mainly a private madrassa operated by Sheroo mainly for Afghans. This compound had been under surveillance for many months and was known as a logistical base for attacks in Afghanistan. Lately, Punjabi Pakistanis had been weapons training there.
Gadahn frequented the area as well as top AQ leaders.
Four Arabs showed up about 1700GMT, then Predators circled. Strike occurred at 2100GMT Wednesday 022708.
There may have been a Hellfire, but I believe, due to the low angle of attack, three missiles (one struck a nearby field), size of the primary explosion, this was likely cruise missiles.
The secondary blast was heard in Wana, likely stored munitions that cooked off.
The only dead identified so far is Shahrukh Khan, younger brother of Khan Mohammad, senior commander of Mullah Nazir-led militants of the Abu Hamza group.
So far, the dead are 4 Arabs, 4 Turkmens, 3 Punjabi Pakistanis, and 2 Afghans. Unconfirmed that 6 wounded prisoners are captured.
An Egyptian fugitive is reported among the 4 dead Arabs. Zawahiri was known to associate with Turkmens, used them for bodyguards. Zawahiri frequented this area with Gadahn, traveled in a group of 3-5.
The backwater buzz is that this was a High Value Target, very high value. Few would get this kind of air strike attention, al-Libi only rated one Hellfire.
Maybe premature and unconfirmed, I'm not celebrating yet, but I'm looking for my corkscrew and dusting off the glasses.
An update.
lol, the expected Taliban “Spring Break” Surge has been called off. The US Media is deeply saddened.
Several sources, waiting for Paki confirmation.
Thanks..looks like the numbers are going up! Yippie!!
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!
I love it... our brave guys are really kickin’ ass over there!
The source is unfamiliar to me, but here’s a FWIW ping
That's a pretty good guess. The Predator only carries 2 Hellfires, max. So either there was more than 1 Predator tasked (doubtful), there was a fast-mover in the area (probably not), or the Predator was just doing BDA after spotting the get-together (likely).
Wonder what the turnaround time would be on a cruise missile strike?
Cook, rughead.
I would love to hear of Gadahn’s ascension to “paradise”, but I was looking forward to personally kicking his ass if he ever retruned to So. Cal.
Oh well.
We haven't done a three missile strike in a very long time, Zawahiri only rated two Hellfires last year.
I think we were taking no chances. RUMINT is buttoned up tight all over so I will check again in a few hours and repost.
BTW, 13 Afghans reported wounded in a dorm next to the madrassa, most of the windows broken for over a km. around.
Later.
GO GET EM....How about congress GO GET EM HERE, INSIDE OUR BORDERS and provide the funding to do so....dreaming aren’t I?
Asia Times is on this strike, good background info:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JC01Df01.html
Sources are down, it’s nightime over there, maybe more very late today.
I trust that everything you are telling us is unclassified.
this is great news. We are now beginning to hit Waziristan and are not being sheepish about madrassas.
Also, I just love unmanned US Predator drones.
I just posted this on another thread- seems relevant to your’s as well..
http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/
Did a U.S. Airstrike Get The Big Z?
Media reports describe another U.S. airstrike within Pakistan, targeting a home that was a suspected Taliban safe house with foreign fighters.
Bill Roggio notes, “One report indicates an “al Qaeda fugitive from Egypt” was among those killed, sparking rumors that Ayman al Zawahiri was the target of the strike.”
But before we break out the party hats, Roggio also notes, “several senior Egyptian members of al Qaeda are known to operate in Pakistan’s tribal areas. These include Abu Khabab al Masri, Abu Ubaidah al Masri, Abdul Rahman al Masri al Maghribi, and Sheikh Essa. Abu Khabab, Abu Ubaidah, and Maghribi were believed to have been killed in the January 2006 Damadola airstrike but the reports were false.”
Keep your fingers crossed.
UPDATE: Two interesting items from the Asia Times, if true. One, allegedly the Predator drone came from Peshawar Airfield, making this a joint Pakistan-NATO operation. Two, the building was allegedly a militant compound disguised as a madrassa.
Campaign angle in all this? Well, the Democrats have looked increasingly silly, and have taken flak from non-conservative, clear-eyed observers of the war in Iraq (like the Washington Post) for insisting that the war is lost, no matter how much progress is made on the ground in Iraq. Another key part of both Hillary and Obama’s playbooks is endlessly moaning, “we’ve forgotten the real war, we’re losing the war in Afghanistan, we’ve been distracted from al-Qaeda.” Democrats looked silly when they claimed the Iraq buildup was distracting from fighting al-Qaeda, just as the U.S. and Pakistan captured Khalid Sheik Mohammed.
02/29 12:39 PM
Fascinating info, keep it coming, as appropriate...
more here...you may get to streak:)
Sounds like the events in Pakistan have given Musharraf reason to let us act there. I guess it keeps the bad guys busy on stuff besides plotting the takeover of Pakistan. Note there haven't been wails of anguish coming from the government.
Bin Lalden hide out?
(in unison) “Another strike, altogether”
Oh God please please let it be Zawahiri. Fingers crossed
WOW, great article. Barry, Harry, Hilarity, Pelosi, Murtha and Woofie are huddling in the “situation” room right now....someone pass them a roll, please.
I'm sure that these Predator-carried Hellfires have a special warhead replacing the standard package. But this sounds like bigger warheads than 1 or 2 Hellfires can carry. All the evidence points to a cruise missle strike.
Up to 13 now...
Maybe even Z-Man
Wedding parties just aren’t that much fun anymore.
American warriors with the right intel and weapons are the best in history.
“An Al-Qaeda fugitive from Egypt is also reported to be among them”
Zawahiri is an Al-Qaeda fugitive from Egypt.
Live by - die by
bye bye
Please, please
like Gadahn's notebook -
from your keyboard to God's ears...
These creeps are getting ready of another - this time MEGA SUPER spring offensive on the Kunar - where they have been wreaking havoc for months - on my grandson and his buddies -
May this be the big one...and may he be in tiny pieces...
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