Posted on 07/03/2009 5:14:04 AM PDT by csvset
ISLAMABAD: A suspected US drone attack killed 11 people in the South Waziristan tribal region, intelligence officials said on Friday.
The two officials say the attack struck a suspected training facility of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leader Baitullah Mehsud early Friday in the villages of Montoi in South Waziristan. A suspected militant hide-out in Kokat Khel was also hit.
‘The missiles hit an office of Mufti Noor Wali who was once in charge of training militants for suicide attacks,’ an intelligence official said.
He had no word on casualties but a resident of the region said 11 militants had been killed.
The attack came as Pakistani troops are closing in on Mehsud’s strongholds and have carried out several air strikes by jet fighters in recent weeks to soften up targets before an expected full-scale offensive.
The attack came a day after thousands of US Marines launched an offensive against the Afghan Taliban in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.
South Waziristan is part of the lawless tribal belt along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan where top Taliban and al-Qaida leaders are believed to be hiding.
The officials said they received their information from agents on the ground.
Funny, it always used to be “... a drone attack” ... and now it is a “...suspected drone attack.” Hey, it might have been a meteor ... lots of those this year.
Two Mooselimb "Wedding Celebrations" knocked out in one blow. Good shootin!
15 killed, 27 injured as US drones fired missiles in South Waziristan: officials
US missiles struck a training facility allegedly operated by Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud and a militant hide-out Friday, killing 15 people and wounding 27 others, intelligence officials said.
The two attacks took place in South Waziristan, a Mehsud stronghold close to the Afghan border, two officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
They were the latest in more than 40 such strikes by the United States against militant targets in the border area since last August. Washington does not directly acknowledge being responsible for the attacks, which kill civilians as well as militants.
The strikes came as the Pakistani military prepares for its own offensive in South Waziristan to eliminate Mehsud, who has been blamed for a string of deadly suicide attacks across the country that have killed more than 100 people in the past month.
One attack targeted an abandoned seminary in the village of Mantoi that was allegedly being used by militants from Mehsud's group for training, said the officials.
The other struck a hide-out in the nearby village of Kokat Khel, they said. In total, 15 people were killed and 27 others were wounded, they said.
Good target! This is the guy supposedly buying (or kidnapping) children as young as 7 to use in suicide bombings. A real monster. Hope they send him to hell, soon
Good shootin’...Gen. BlackJack Pershing would love it. To our troops:Keep up the Good work and stay safe.
reuters
U.S. drone strike kills 10 in Pakistan: officials
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2284858/posts
10? 11? bodycount is bodycount. ;-)
HaPPy and a Safe 4th as well!!
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