Posted on 02/02/2010 9:43:31 AM PST by NormsRevenge
MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (AFP) Numerous missiles fired from US drones on Tuesday killed at least ten militants in a village in Pakistan's northwest tribal region near the Afghan border, security officials said.
"Up to eight US drones fired some 18 missiles at multiple militant targets in Datta khel village," a senior security official told AFP.
"Ten militants were killed in the missile strikes," the official said.
Local administration and intelligence officials confirmed the deaths after the volley of strikes reportedly struck militant hideouts and a training centre in three places in the village.
Residents in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan tribal district, said that they saw the drones flying overhead and heard the explosions from Datta khel, 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of the town.
North Waziristan is a known base for insurgents belonging to the Taliban and Haqqani networks, blamed for staging attacks on US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
A series of drone strikes, which fuel anti-American sentiment in the nuclear-armed Muslim nation, have hit the northwest this month.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
How much does a hellfire missle cost? X 18 / 10.... I suspect that was a pretty expensive training run...
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Not really.. cost per HellFire is between 50-75K depending on what site you visit.
The irony I see in this is — we don’t read them their Miranda rights when we attempt to blow them off the face of the earth, but the moment we capture them int he battlefield, then we provide them with lawyers and civilian trials. Heck, we punish OUR OWN soldiers for punching them in the face, but we don’t punish our soldiers for killing them.
What a convoluted/confused system we have !!
I love the smell of burnt talibunnies in the morning! It smells like....a pig roast!
Allot of firepower to kill only 10 weasels though.
Fear? As usual, Al Jizya has it backwards ... I'd say there is mounting HOPE that the death toll etc.
“It is the new protocol now that sucks. We have to give them a running start first.”
Does that running start come before or after Bn HQ lawyers give the OK?
It doesn't give the Paki ISI time to warn the terrorists before the strikes.
They read them their rights AFTER they kill them. Much easier. “You have the right to remail silent. GOOD!”
The best thing about strikes like this is that the Taliban have to wonder who among them is providing such accurate information.
These predator drones and their hellfires are murder on the talibam.
I just know we have other stuff even more advanced, I hope they are flying those around Iran.
1) "Allot" is the wrong word.
2) You hit high value targets with a lot of firepower. You want them DEAD.
I'm a hopin' the death toll mounts higher
I'm hopin the Hellfires changed a lot of muscle to hamburger.
Man I would think so.
Predators pound terrorist camp in North Waziristan
********************************EXCERPT**********************************
By Bill RoggioFebruary 2, 2010 12:09 PM
A swarm of unmanned US aircraft pounded an al Qaeda camp today in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.
Five unmanned US strike aircraft, likely the Predators and Reapers, are reported to have fired 18 missiles at a camp and vehicles in the village of Datta Khel, a known al Qaeda and Taliban stronghold. This is the largest recorded US airstrike in Pakistan, indicating a top al Qaeda, Taliban, or Haqqani Network leader, or leaders, may have been present.
Seventeen terrorists are reported to have been killed in the missile attack. At this time, no senior al Qaeda or Taliban commanders have been reported killed.
The US has ramped up the attacks in Pakistan since the beginning of December, after a lull in strikes in October and November of 2009, when only four airstrikes were launched. There were eight strikes in December 2009, and 11 in January of this year. Today's strike is the 12th this year. [For up-to-date charts on the US air campaign in Pakistan, see: Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2010.]
Today's airstrike is the 13th since Dec. 30, 2009, when a Jordanian al Qaeda operative and double agent carried out a suicide attack at Combat Outpost Chapman in Afghanistan's Khost province. The bomber killed seven CIA officials, including the station chief, and a Jordanian intelligence officer.
Since the Dec. 30 suicide attack, the US has been hunting Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban. Hakeemullah appeared with the Jordanian suicide bomber on a martyrdom tape that was released shortly after the attack.
Occasionally we get a bit of good news. More roasted morons sent deep into the depths of Hell. Hope they like their stay.
Roggio has a different count...see just above.
See #35.
Thanks!
Thats sounds much better than the initial report. Vehicles and everything, 17 baddies.
What I am interested in now is the swarm of drones. How often do they fly in formations? I always envisioned them being used solo. A swarm of 8 on an attack sounds awesome.
I’d like to see some of that video.
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