US bombs Pakistan border patrol after soldier injured in gunfight

ABC News ^ | December 31, 2002

[Dog Gone]

An American B-52 warplane has bombed a Pakistan border patrol following a gunfight in which one American soldier was injured.

US military officials say a Pakistani border scout operating near the Afghan frontier town of Shkin opened fire with a rifle after US troops asked him to return to the Pakistan side of the border.

They say the gunman, and several others, fled to a nearby building at which point the US patrol called in an air strike.

One 250 kilogram bomb was dropped on the area.

The soldier who was slightly injured in the clash has been transferred to a military hospital in Germany.

The incident occurred in the same area where a US soldier was killed in combat earlier this month.

[Karsus]

I just wish the US goverment would protect our borders with the same level of effort.

[ClearCase_guy]

Are B-52's stationed locally? I thought they were many hours away from the war zone. And are they normally used to drop a single 250 kg bomb? That's not heavy lifting. I suspect that this journalist is flagging the wrong aircraft. But I could be wrong.

[cmak9]

I just wish the US goverment would protect our borders with the same level of effort.

Amen to that! (and kudos to the military for responding to one of our "allies" attacking us).

[rogue yam]

Yeah, I'm not too calm about this either! Pakistanis shooting at our guys?!? At least we dropped a bomb on them but sheesh! Friends like that, etc.

[aught-6]

What's with the 250 "KG" bomb report? We don't make bombs of that size. It's either 250 LBS (113 KGS) or 500 LBS (227 KGS).

[cynicom]

They are loitering on station for several hours at a time, flying out of Diego Garcia. Actually, it is very effective use of the aircraft.

[robertpaulsen]

Maybe they meant 250 kiloton? That sends a message!

[colette_g]

500-lb -

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-12212237,00.html

US troops bombed a disused religious school during a gunbattle with soldiers from its ally Pakistan.

Soldiers from the two nations clashed after a row broke out during a joint patrol along the border with Afghanistan.

One US soldier and two Pakistani border guards were injured in the shootings.

Pakistan is a close US ally in the war on terror and has stationed 60,000-70,000 troops on the Afghan border.

Wounded

The force is helping to track down remnants of the al Qaeda terror network and leaders of the Taliban regime that sheltered them.

The wounded American was part of a unit conducting a mission with Pakistani forces along the Afghan border when a disagreement appeared to break out, according to a statement released by the US military.

"A Pakistani border scout opened fire with a G3 rifle after the US patrol asked him to return to the Pakistan side of the border," the statement said

"That individual and several others retreated to a nearby structure," it added.

Bomb

"Close air support was requested and one 500-lb bomb was dropped on the target area."

A local official in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal area close to the Afghan border said that a seminary in the Pakistani town of Angor Adda had been hit by US warplanes.

A Pakistani intelligence official said two bombs were dropped on Pakistani soil, but he reported no injuries.

[Sparta]

Where are B-52s near our borders?

[swarthyguy]

Here's a little more info....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/814655/posts

[dagar]

If it was a BUFF, then it was probably outta Diego Garcia -- it's a tiny island in the IO roughly south of the Straits of Hormuz(spl?) we lease it from the 'Brits.

[swarthyguy]

WOnder if Sgt Checo was killed by a Pakistani military soldier, not ostensibly alqaeda/taliban as reported.

[Dog Gone]

I get the impression that this (now thoroughly deceased) Pakistani wasn't part of the regular Pak army. I don't know if that's correct or not, but I'm guessing he was part of the forces the tribal regions have with their autonomy.

That would make sense, because those areas are generally opposed to the US, and might even take a potshot at one of our soldiers. This one did, and probably got a JDAM on his head in retaliation.

I'll be interested to hear Musharraf's take on the incident.

[hope]

Maybe not on the border, but they patrol 24/7.

[galt-jw]

damn right!

[swarthyguy]

>>I'll be interested to hear Musharraf's take on the incident

LOL! Indian infiltrators and subversives stirring up trouble.

[Gunrunner2]

Airborne alert.
Single bomb--JDAM