3 Pakistanis Killed in a US Air Strike, 12 Killed In an Army Air Raid

12 Militants Killed In Pakistan Air Raid: Official

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP)--

Pakistani jets and helicopters attacked (alleged Talliban fighters) bases in a tribal area on the Afghan border Sunday, killing at least 12 rebels, a military official said.

The air assault near Ghiljo area in the tribal Orakzai district came a day after a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed more than 20 security personnel in nearby Hangu town, the official said.

"We had information about the presence of militants in the surrounding hills," a senior military officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"We engaged jets and helicopters and at least four Taliban bases were destroyed in the bombing and shelling," he said.

"Our information is that 12 (alleged Talliban fighters) were killed and the final toll may go up."

On Saturday, a suicide attacker rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a checkpoint in Doaba town, in northwestern Hangu district, killing at least 20 security personnel, officials said.

A spokesman for Pakistani Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, saying it was in revenge for U.S. missile strikes by unmanned aircraft.

"We will continue to launch suicide attacks until U.S. drone attacks are stopped," Mehsud's deputy, Hakimullah Mehsud, told reporters by telephone.

Three dead in suspected US strike in Pakistan

Sun Apr 19, 9:56 am ET

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) –

A suspected US missile attack aimed at alleged Taliban fighters in Pakistan's tribal area along the border with Afghanistan killed at least three alleged Taliban fighters, officials said on Sunday.

The attack was the latest in a series of strikes by pilotless US aircraft in the restive northwest region, they said.

"It was a drone attack," local administration official Shahab Ali Shah told AFP.

The official said two missiles hit a house in Gangi Khel area on the outskirts of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan district along the Afghan border.

Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attack targeted (alleged Talliban home), killing three suspected rebels. Five others were wounded, the official added.

But a security official said seven militants had died.

"Seven (alleged Talliban fighters) were killed in the twin strike," he said, adding that there was no immediate report of any high-value targets.

Residents said the attack flattened the compound and destroyed a vehicle parked nearby.

"It was a fortress-type house owned by local tribesman Mohammad Wali, there were about a dozen rooms," his neighbour Roshan Khan told AFP.

One missile hit a "Shashpai," or six-wheeler truck, which was apparently loaded with explosives, he said.

"The truck exploded with a big bang and the smell of explosives filled the area," he said. "I am standing 500 metres (yards) away but the smell is intolerable."

Khan said he saw no casualties and Taliban who had surrounded the house gave no figure.

The semi-autonomous South Waziristan is a stronghold of Pakistan's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, who recently threatened to avenge missile strikes with attacks across the country and in the United States.

Earlier this month three suspected militants were killed in a similar attack in the area.

Sunday's attack was the fourth suspected US strike this month and follows the unveiling of a strategy by US President Barack Obama to defeat extremists in South Asia that puts Pakistan at the heart of the fight against Al-Qaeda.

However, the Pakistan government is opposed to attacks by unmanned aircraft, which it says violate its territorial sovereignty and deepen resentment among Pakistanis.

The US military does not, as a rule, confirm drone attacks, but its armed forces and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operating in neighbouring Afghanistan are the only forces that deploy drones in the region.

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.