Wednesday August 13, 3:22 PM
Missiles kill 10 militants in Pakistan tribal area: official
PESHAWAR (AFP) - A suspected US missile strike on an Islamist training camp
in a Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan killed at least 10 militants, officials said on Wednesday.
Four missiles slammed into two buildings in the camp in Baghar village in the troubled district of South Waziristan on Tuesday night, a senior security official told AFP.
"At least 10 militants were killed in the strikes," the official said. He did not specify whether they were from the Taliban or Al-Qaeda, both of which operate in the area.
"This is their work," he said, referring to US-led coalition forces deployed across the border in Afghanistan.
In Kabul, the US military said the missiles were not fired by either NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) or the US-led coalition.
"This is not true. We have no reports of missiles being fired into Pakistan," US-led coalition spokesman Lieutenant Nathan Perry told AFP.
The US Central Intelligence Agency is also known to operate pilotless drone aircraft armed with missiles, but it was not available for comment.
The Pakistani security official said foreign militants were reported to be in the camp. Pakistani officials frequently use the term foreigners to refer to militants from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.
"There were reports about presence of Arab, Turkmen and local militants in the two hideouts, run by a local commander, Zanjir Wazir," the official said.
It was not clear whether Wazir was in the camp when the missiles struck.
Witnesses said the missile strike destroyed two houses close to each other and rescue workers were seen removing debris amid fears that more people could be trapped inside.
Local militants cordoned off the area and journalists were not allowed access to the site. Residents said the houses were part of a militant training camp.
Al-Qaeda chemical and biological weapons expert Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar was killed in a similar missile strike in July.
The Egyptian, 54, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, had a five-million dollar bounty on his head and allegedly ran terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has protested over a wave of missile strikes attributed to US-led forces in Afghanistan in recent months which have killed dozens of people.
During talks with US President George W. Bush last month, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called on the United States not to act "unilaterally" against Islamic militants in Pakistan.
Gilani, whose new government has been facing intense US pressure to crack down on Pakistan-based militants, said that Islamabad was committed to fighting extremists.
The government launched negotiations with the Taliban earlier this year but has since launched several military operations, including an ongoing offensive in the Bajaur tribal region which has left more than 160 people dead in a week.
If, this missile strike is from PAKARMY, thn its very good. because it is what these so called (TALIBANS) killers wanted, but if it comes from CIA , thn its really not good because! it will give them (TALIBANS) a chance to use it a propaganda against PAKARMY.
One thing, shouldbe learned from all this conflict, which is that till these all sort of attacks from CIA+ NATO+ISAF couldnt stop, it will keep giving a moral boast to CIA backed miitants. who hoodwinked themselves in the cover of ISLAM.
I was, long waiting for PAKARMY ALL OUT OPREATION against these killers of innocent MUSLIMS. i guss , its the time for PAKARMY to unleash the !!! great fire which, it posses & i would like to see missile attacks from PAKARMY plus, REGULAR TROOPS in adition with SOF opreating against these killers with no mercy.
PAF shouldbe introduced, to give these traitors a lesson!!!
as i was posting this, post.. i just got the news that a ss.. bombing just happened in LAHORE dubai chowk was the target .
