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| India-Pakistan | |
| US missile strikes kill 17 | |
| 2009-06-23 | |
| AT least 17 people have been killed after suspected US missile strikes hit a Taliban base in Pakistan's northwest, pounding militants gathering for funeral prayers The first reported strike by an unmanned drone aircraft hit near Makeen village, 60km northeast of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan and a stronghold of Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud. "A missile attack by a suspected US drone took place in rugged mountainous terrain in Neej Narai in South Waziristan," said a Pakistani security official who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. He said the first drone fired three missiles overnight, adding that "six militants were killed and seven others wounded in the attack". Another security official confirmed the incident and casualties, saying that the missiles destroyed a compound, a bunker and two vehicles of the Taliban in the semi-autonomous tribal belt along the Afghan border. As militants gathered for funeral rites for the dead later in the day, another unmanned drone aircraft dropped three more missiles, officials said.
He said hundreds of militants were assembled to attend the funeral prayers of one of their commanders killed in the initial strike. "The reports we are receiving from the area said that the death toll may rise as hundreds of militants were attending the funeral prayers," he said. A local intelligence official confirmed the death toll and said he had reports of more than 10 wounded in the second attack. | |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #11 Hundreds were gathered and we only got 17 of them? I suspect the toll will be much higher. In any case, we need to develop white phosphorous cluster napalm bombs just for this sort of situation. |
| Posted by: gorb 2009-06-23 23:02 |
| #10 Just read that Frank. The NYT and BBC are weeping for these turds. To bad they are like cockroaches and are so difficult to get rid of. |
| Posted by: Sockpuppet of Doom 2009-06-23 21:16 |
| #9 heh - NYT says we Zapped "at least 60" obligatory handwringing: Detailsof the attack, which occurred in Makeen, remained unclear, but the reported death toll was exceptionally high. If the reports are indeed accurate and if the attack was carried out by a drone, the strike could be the deadliest since the United States began using the aircraft to fire remotely guided missiles at members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the tribal areas of Pakistan. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-06-23 21:08 |
| #8 Hmmm, Zap a taliban compound and kill a bunch of them. Zap the funeral rites and kill a bunch of them. Zap THAT funeral and kill a bunch of them. Zap THAT funeral and kill a bunch of them....and so on and so on and so on and.... Do you get the impression that these clowns are NOT the sharpest knife in the drawer? |
| Posted by: James Carville 2009-06-23 20:53 |
| #7 My only regret is that a cluster bomb wasn't dropped. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-06-23 20:46 |
| #6 Sepsis and infection should take care of a bunch of others. Allan Snackbar! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-06-23 19:59 |
| #5 of course 38 of those were civilians.... |
| Posted by: Percy Flaper4935 2009-06-23 18:43 |
| #4 I hope they have enough ordnance for the next round of funeral prayers, and the next, etc. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-06-23 16:50 |
| #3 One two punch, preditor style! |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2009-06-23 16:42 |
| #2 US missile strikes kill 17 |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2009-06-23 16:20 |
| #1 US missile strikes hit a Taliban base in Pakistan's northwest, pounding militants gathering for funeral prayers Heh heh heh... |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2009-06-23 15:36 |