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 ...
Gadahn and al-Libi were buddies and were probably working on propaganda videos when they were blown up last month in their unsafe house.
Wanna bet Gadahn was being tracked and led the Predator to al Libi?
The Predator B carries more than two Hellfires.
I so hope Gadahn is proved dead.
Let's pray
Did Prince Harry call in this strike?
Hilarious Gadahn video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EvrE1xF8LQ&feature=related
Zawihiri has been reported to be in this immediate area for a while. I think we got him.
The MQ-9 Reaper, formerly known as the Predator-B, can carry four Hellfire missiles and two 500-lb bombs.
While they are not "officially" in combat yet, they have been field testing in Afghanistan and Iraq since last fall, which has included several missile strikes on hostile targets.
I still keep hoping that they are water boarding him chuckle
"See ya tomorrow, probably.. "
Very effective testing, it seems.
Operational use of Reaper's advanced capabilities marks a tremendous step forward in the evolution of unmanned aerial systems. Air Force quality assurance evaluators gave a "thumbs up" to the aircraft's debut performance and have been pleased with its operation ever since.
"The Reaper is a significant evolution in capability for the Air Force," said Air Force Chief of Staff T. Michael Moseley. "We've taken these aircraft from performing mainly as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms to carrying out true hunter-killer missions."
The Reaper is larger and more heavily-armed than the MQ-1 Predator and in addition to its traditional ISR capabilities, is designed to attack time-sensitive targets with persistence and precision, and destroy or disable those targets. To date, Reaper operators have not been called upon to drop their weapons on enemy positions. Like the MQ-1 Predator, the Reaper is launched, recovered and maintained at deployed locations, while being remotely operated by pilots and sensor operators at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. That's where the resemblance ends. The MQ-9 has nearly nine times the range, can fly twice as high and carries more munitions.
"It's a tremendous increase in our capability that will allow us to keep UAVs over the airspace of Afghanistan and Iraq in the future for a very long time," said Lt. Gen. Gary North, commander of U.S. Central Command Air Forces, who noted the Reaper was a perfect complement to the Air Force's existing manned airborne platforms. "This is just another evolutionary step where technology is helping commanders on the battlefield to integrate great effects from the air into the ground commander's scheme of maneuver."
General North added that he expects the Reaper to bring a significant impact to military operations throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. "The enemy knows we track them and they know that if and when they commit acts against their people and government, we will take action against them. The Reaper is an incredible weapon in our quiver," said General North. The Reaper has yet to be required to deliver munitions against enemy targets. Approved by Air Combat Command in 2004, the Air Force currently has nine Reapers in its inventory.
Three weeks after this article was written last October, an MQ-9 Reaper launched a successful missile strike against terrorists operating in the Deh Rawood region of Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
:-\
Of Roggios list of possibles: Abdul Rehman al-Misri al Maghribi: son-in-law, confirmed dead @ Damadola and was Moroccan anyway.
Midhat Murfi al Sayid Omer, AKA Abu Khebab, is Egytian, is alive, possibly struck.
Abu Obaidah al Misri, reported to be in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province, is Egyptian, is alive, possibly struck.
Ikhlas al-Masri, al Qaeda commander, is Egyptian, but lives in Nuristan with his wife and five children, not likely.
Abu Amro Abdul Hakeem AKA Sheikh Essa was wounded in a missile strike the day after Bhutto was killed, was also recovering from a stroke, not believed to be mobile.
There is also Saif al Adel, Egytian, second to Zawahiri, very likely possibility.
Pity.
BAD terrorist, NO VIRGINS!
I guess that was unkind.
I hope the get the best 7th century medical care that muslim technology can provide.
WOW..thanks for the update!
GO TROOPS!!
There is a God, and his name isn't Ala. ; )
Politically, I'm sure, that if this hit's the MSM the front runners for the Democratic nomination for the position of POTUS will find fault with this promotion of freedom.
Thanks for the ping.
This had to been a very bad day for AQ leadership.
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