Posted on 06/02/2007 1:35:17 PM PDT by KeyLargo
US Navy attacks Somali militant base. Written By:james Rono/bbc , Posted: Sat, Jun 02, 2007
Caption: US blames militants for the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
A US Navy warship has carried out a missile attack on a Somali village where Islamist militants are reported to have set up a base.
Somali officials said a remote village in the Puntland region was bombarded, days after foreign militants arrived.
US reports suggest the target was an al-Qaeda operative suspected of involvement in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The strike would be at least the third by the US in Somali territory in 2007.
In early January, US forces tried to target three suspected members of al-Qaeda but were thought to have missed their targets.
Later that month another strike hit an identified target in the south of the country, according to the Pentagon.
Until now fighting between rival clan militias and remnants of Islamist militants, who seized control of large parts of Somalia for six months of 2006, has been concentrated in the south of the country.
This is the first time the US has launched an attack in the Puntland region, home to Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf, says the BBC's East Africa correspondent Karen Allen.
The latest attack targeted a mountainous area around the village of Bargal in the northern province of Bari, in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, Somali reports said.
It followed clashes between local troops and foreign fighters after their arrival on Wednesday, which forced the militants into nearby hills.
Residents spoke of a plane circling overhead assisting the warship with targeting.
There was no word available immediately on whether anyone was injured or killed by the missile strikes.
"We cannot yet tell you the casualty figures, but what I can confirm is that the American warships bombed several targets in the surroundings of Bargal at night," one resident, Mohamoud Salah, told the AFP news agency.
The US did not comment directly on the latest reports, pointing out only that operations against terror suspects often needed to be carried out "quietly".
"The very nature of some of our operations, as well as the success of those operations is often predicated on our ability to work quietly with our partners and allies," a Pentagon spokesman said.
US officials have accused Islamist militias in Somalia of harbouring terrorists.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/images/hi/061115-N-0490C-011.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2007/003.html&h=428&w=600&sz=81&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=C-y7FVOiPw7fVM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dus%2Bnavy%2Bsomalia%2Bguided%2Bmissile%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG
Ping me if they identify the ship. I heard it was a 5 inch gun that was employed.
The second photo looks specious. There are no hull numbers on the bow. There are 3 American flags flying from the bridge/mast area. US warships do not fly 3 flags (ensigns) from that area. Plus, the anchor configuration looks suspicious. (Compare it to the first photo in the post).
A round of drinks for the Ops Dept...
THX
Different ship entirely. Look at the mooring line ports on the second.
“The second photo looks specious.”
Both images were found in a Google search. They are not photos of the same ship, nor photos of any Navy ship involved.
I just thought that they were nice looking images to post.
It was the USS Chafee using the 5 inch gun.
I would say it might be safe to really not want that information to be confirmed about what ship it was...
If I was crewing that ship, I would appreciate anonymity, for now...They will certainly get kudos from COMNAVGODPAC, or whomever is in charge of the task force...
I agree, we have heard nothing to suggest what exact weapons were employed...Missles to me, would appear to be a waste of ordinance...But doing a little NGFS, and raining down on that parade in that matter is much more fun...
It’s out in the public domain. Iran’s even got it on their news service.
Yes, but that’s on the cruiser. Same gun mount on the destroyer.
clink...
From your friendly nieghborhood scope dope...
We aim to please, Marines say please aim...
OS’s, doing the job ET’s can’t and won’t...hehehe
BTW, Sailed a few deployments with the Leahy before they decommed her...Long time ago...
ping
Thats just flippin’ great...
No more liberty port of calls for that ship...
That realy blows chunks!
What was the hull number again???
The USS Webagapiecesof$hit.
Residents spoke of a plane circling overhead assisting the warship with targeting.
Thanks. Is this the same attack as reported yesterday? This article says missiles, yesterday’s said 5” gun fire.
One year ago I was just back from 2 1/2 months off Somalia.
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