DTN News - UKRAINE CRISIS: Defense-Technology News May 4, 2014 (Video)

DTN News - UKRAINE CRISIS:  Defense-Technology News  May 4, 2014 (Video)

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 4, 2014: Pro-Russian groups in Donetsk have been reacting angrily to the deaths in Odessa.

More than 40 people died there on Friday, most of them in a fire at the Trade Unions House, where separatist protesters had barricaded themselves following running battles with pro-Kiev activists.

Ukraine's interim PM has accused the security services of failing to stop violence in the southern city of Odessa that left more than 40 people dead.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, on his way to Odessa, told the BBC there would be a "full, comprehensive and independent investigation" into Friday's events.

Most of the victims were pro-Russian separatists who had barricaded themselves inside a building.

Mr Yatsenyuk has blamed pro-Russian groups for "provoking the unrest".

Dozens of people were arrested after the unrest. On Sunday, hundreds of pro-Russians gathered outside Odessa's main police station demanding their release, and there were reports of scuffles breaking out on the streets.

'Real war'

Some 42 people died in Odessa on Friday, most of them in the fire at the Trade Unions House, where separatist protesters had barricaded themselves in following running street battles with pro-Kiev activists.

Mr Yatsenyuk said the security service and law enforcement office had done "nothing to stop this crackdown", saying they were "inefficient and they violated the law".

The police chief of the Odessa region had been removed, he said, and the prosecutor's office had started an investigation into "every single police officer"

Ukraine Crisis Top Stories / Headlines News for the world of TODAY.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Oshkosh Defense Products on Video

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Oshkosh Defense Products on Video

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 17, 2013: Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation presented its solution for the Engineering Manufacturing & Development (EMD) phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. With the JLTV program, the U.S. military is seeking to modernize its light vehicle fleet. Oshkosh is offering the latest generation of its Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) to upgrade the light tactical fleet with MRAP-level protection and unprecedented mobility in future missions. The Oshkosh L-ATV has been extensively tested and proven to meet or exceed all of the JLTV program's requirements.

"Military leaders have recognized JLTV as one of their top modernization priorities, and the Oshkosh L-ATV entry represents our significant investment in this project and showcases our advanced technology," said John Bryant, vice president and general manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense. "Our engineers have drawn upon extensive tactical vehicle operating experience in Iraq and Afghanistan to develop the L-ATV, with an eye toward future combat environments."

The Light Combat Vehicle, Redefined
The Oshkosh L-ATV is designed to keep Warfighters safe as battlefield threats evolve. The vehicle's crew protection system has been extensively tested and proven to optimize protection, weight and mobility. The L-ATV can accept multiple armor configurations so it can easily be adapted to changing operational requirements.

The L-ATV also uses the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent suspension system, building on the success of the TAK-4 family of suspensions used on more than 20,000 military vehicles. The TAK-4i system is tailored for high-performance, lightweight vehicles to give Warfighters unprecedented mobility in severe off-road terrain. It uses an advanced Oshkosh technology to deliver 20 inches of independent wheel travel; 25 percent more than any vehicle fielded with the U.S. military today.

Oshkosh's innovative L-ATV delivers expanded power capabilities, greater fuel efficiency and integrated diagnostics compared to legacy engine technologies. An optional Oshkosh ProPulse® diesel-electric hybrid powertrain is available to further improve fuel economy, lower life-cycle costs, and provide high levels of stationary and on-the-move exportable power.

*Link for This article compiled by  K. V. Seth - DTN News
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Singapore-Designed Warthog MRAP In Afghanistan

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Singapore-Designed Warthog MRAP In Afghanistan

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - January 15, 2011: Currently in service in hot and sandy places the Warthog has been shown off in a new PR video from the MoD/BFBS

This is an earlier video.

Costing roughly £1.7 million pounds each, no, you didn’t misread that, it would seem from the first video that despite being in production for several years with ST Kinetis as the Bronco , our experience with Viking and a £20 million modification package from Thales there are still problems;

“Like anything brand new they are not without their problems though”, said the BFBS reporter

The very carefully thought through reply was..

Inevitably there are bits and pieces which we sort of err, err, which we sort of, err, managing out here in theatre, but to be honest we have not had to deal with any significant issues that we thought we might have when this vehicle has gone from inception into delivery in under two year

Two years would be pretty impressive if it was a brand new design and any teething troubles would be understandable, but it is not brand new. The ST kinetics Bronco has been in service with the Singapore armed forces since 2004 and forms the basis for the Warthog.

The Singapore-designed Warthog MRAP vehicle is on its way to Afghanistan.

Announcing the deal, the Thales press release stated

WARTHOG will come in four variants: a troop carrier; an ambulance; a command vehicle; and a repair and recovery vehicle. The ambulance variant will be capable of carrying casualties, medics and kit. WARTHOG’s repair and recovery variant will be fitted with a crane and winch, and will have the capability of towing another WARTHOG vehicle back from the front line.

WARTHOG will be powered by a 7.2-litre engine, producing 350bhp, and will be able to move through water – all while carrying up to 11 troops and offering advanced armoured protection.

Thales will install UK-specific equipment to the vehicles, including additional armour, specialist electronic counter-measure equipment and communication tools, to bring them in line with UK theatre-entry requirements.

It was reported that the original design failed blast testing and needed an extra couple of tons of armour, reducing mobility and payload. The in service date was pushed forward, beyond what was considered to be sensible but hey, there is a war on you know.

Despite failing selection for the Warthog UOR requirement, the Royal Marines subsequently ordered 24 Viking Mks 2′s, the last ones of the order for 24 being delivered in July 2009.

The Viking 24 Viking Mk2′s cost about £875k each.

We now have 2 marks of the BvS10 and one Warthog in service, not including the different variants.

At £1.7million each, which includes all variants, some logistic support and integration of additional armour/electronics etc, is the Warthog good value for money?

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

© Copyright (c) DTN News Defense-Technology News

DTN NEWS ON TWITTER (30 SUBJECTS)

DTN News: Israeli Military Confronts New Foe - The Internet

DTN News: Israeli Military Confronts New Foe - The Internet

Source: DTN News / By Josef Federman (AP)

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - August 20, 2010: The security obsessed Israeli military is confronting a new adversary — trying to control what its own soldiers post to the Internet. Facebook, along with YouTube and other popular sites, is turning into a formidable nuisance for the army, as young recruits in this tech-crazy country post embarrassing and potentially sensitive information online, circumventing tight military controls. The issue exploded onto the national agenda this week when a young ex-soldier posted pictures of herself in uniform, posing in front of handcuffed, blindfolded Palestinian prisoners on her Facebook page under the heading "Army — The Best Time of My Life." The controversial posting, along with a series of other recent gaffes, highlights the challenges facing Israel's high-tech military — known, among other things, for its shadowy electronic-warfare units — as it struggles to keep up with the ever-shifting sands of the Internet. Last month, a video of Israeli soldiers dancing to the drunken party anthem "TiK ToK" during a patrol in the West Bank emerged on YouTube, earning them a reprimand. Around the same time, a secret intelligence unit launched a Facebook group for its members that divulged details of the secret base where they served. The site was removed several days later after the army found out. And, in perhaps the most serious breach, a military raid in the West Bank had to be called off earlier this year after a soldier posted details about the upcoming operation on Facebook. Such incidents illustrate "how difficult it is for the military to operate, stick to policy, and keep people in line in light of the new communication realities," said Sheizaf Rafaeli, director of the Sagy Center for Internet Research and the Study of the Information Society at the University of Haifa. That's in stark contrast to the traditional media, over which Israel's military censor has long maintained tight control. Both Israeli and international news outlets are required to submit reports with potentially sensitive material for review, and the censor's office often returns them with words or even entire sections blacked out. Access is severely limited to military personnel, from field soldiers to the army's top echelons, and it can take weeks to line up an interview with key commanders. Once approved, there are tight restrictions — quotes often must be run through the army spokesman's office and soldiers frequently can't be named or photographed. The emergence of the latest pictures dominated Israeli news shows Tuesday, drawing tough criticism from the army and receiving heavy coverage in the Arab media. Palestinians, along with Israeli human rights groups, denounced the photos as a cruel symbol of Israel's four-decade occupation, and the Arab satellite channel al-Jazeera interspersed its coverage with pictures of Abu Ghraib, the notorious U.S. prison in Iraq where American soldiers tortured inmates. The former Israeli officer, Eden Aberjil, struck a defensive tone in interviews with Israeli media, insisting she did nothing wrong and saying she was surprised she had offended anyone. "I have nothing to say sorry about. I treated them really well, I didn't abuse them, I didn't curse them, I didn't humiliate them. I merely took a picture near them," Aberjil told Channel 2 TV. She said the men were civilians from the Gaza Strip who had been caught trying to enter Israel, apparently in search of work, and she posed for the pictures because she had never met anyone from Gaza. Aberjil, who the army said is in her mid-20s, denounced any comparisons to Abu Ghraib as "delusional," saying she was astonished by the attention she had received and accusing the army of abandoning her. She claimed similar things take place in the army "every day." She did, however, say she was sorry if the pictures, taken in 2008, had hurt anyone's feelings. She said she removed them after learning that others felt they were inappropriate. Asked whether the posting violated Facebook's code of conduct, the company said "it appears that the girl in question removed the photos from her account on her own — and we were not involved in the removal of these photos in any way." It declined further comment. The army said it permits soldiers to utilize social-networking sites, but only to upload unclassified material. It said all soldiers are taught about the guidelines. One officer, speaking on condition of anonymity under military guidelines, said the censorship office has ways to monitor the Internet and make sure sensitive information does not appear online. However, in cases deemed embarrassing but not a threat to security, such as the Aberjil pictures, "there is nothing anyone can do," he said. Capt. Barak Raz, an army spokesman, said the issue was about morals, not security. "I'm not concerned with the fact that photos were uploaded. As the military, we're concerned that such photos were taken to begin with, which are a gross violation of our ethical code," he said. "This isn't who we are as a military." Because Aberjil is no longer in the army, it's unclear whether she can be punished. Rafaeli said that while the military would like to curb the use of social media for the purposes of secrecy, PR and internal control, it is "probably up against an insurmountable challenge." Before, soldiers would have words censored out of letters that were sent home, but because of the Internet and social media, this is "no longer feasible," he said. Social networks are a part of everyday life for today's generation of American military service members as well. Many keep in touch with friends and family using Facebook, and they are savvy users of YouTube, Twitter and Flickr. A YouTube video featuring Afghanistan-stationed soldiers re-enacting Lady Gaga's "Telephone" music video, for example, gained viral popularity earlier this year. Recognizing the reach of these services, the Pentagon announced earlier this year that everyone from troops in the field to the highest brass and civilian leaders will be allowed to use social networking sites on the military's non-classified computer network. The policy followed a seven-month review in which the Defense Department weighed the threats and benefits of allowing the wide use of Internet capabilities. It permits commanders to cut off access — on a temporary basis — to safeguard a mission or reserve bandwidth for official use. With the decision, the army unblocked YouTube, MySpace and more than a dozen sites that had been closed in May 2007.

*Link to this article "Israeli Military Confronts New Foe - The Internet ~ By Josef Federman (AP) " *This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com Associated Press writers Aisha Mohammed and Ian Deitch in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Related Articles Ex-Israeli soldier's Facebook pictures provoke outrage Israeli soldier who posed on Facebook with Palestinian prisoners defends herself

DTN News: Mig-35 Offered To India Matches All Requirements: Russia

DTN News: Mig-35 Offered To India Matches All Requirements: Russia

Source: DTN News - - this article / report compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 27, 2010: Russia on Monday said that its new Mig-35 fighter had passed Indian Air Forces three evaluation tests and matched all requirements listed by New Delhi in the $10 billion tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA).

"The requirements of the tender are quite rigid, but we have already held three evaluation tests, and we believe we have offered an aircraft which entirely corresponds to the tender requirements," a senior official of the Rosoboronexport State Corporation Sergei Kornyev said. His comments come as India is believed to be in the process of shortlisting the bidders. Major aircraft manufacturers including the French Dassault Aviation with its Rafale jet fighter, US Lockheed Martin with its F-16 Falcon and Boeing with F-18 Super Hornet, the Swedish Saab with its most up-to-date Gripen fighter and Eurofighter are in the fray along with MiG-35 Fulcrum-F. "Of course, the buyers will make the final decision. "We are sure that we will participate in this tender until the end, and we hope we will win," Kornyev was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti. Mig-35 Fulcrum-F with thrust-vectoring engines is a highly maneuverable single seater multi-role air superiority fighter is an export version of the MiG-29M OVT (Fulcrum F). The plane was first officially presented at the Aero India 2007 air show in Bangalore.

DTN News: Israel Diverts Gaza Aid Ship Rachel Corrie To Ashdod

DTN News: Israel Diverts Gaza Aid Ship Rachel Corrie To Ashdod

Source: DTN News / BBC News Saturday, 5 June 2010

(NSI News Source Info) ASHDOD, Israel - June 6, 2010: An aid ship intercepted by the Israeli military while trying to break the blockade of Gaza has arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod. Israel says its soldiers boarded the Irish-owned Rachel Corrie from the sea and did not meet any resistance. There has been no word from those on board, who include several activists. The incident comes five days after nine people were killed in clashes when troops boarded a Turkish aid ship, prompting international criticism. Israel says it will question those on board at the port and transfer the aid to the Gaza Strip by land after checking the cargo for banned items. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the peaceful outcome to the operation. The Israeli military issued footage of the Rachel Corrie boarding "We saw today the difference between a ship of peace activists, with whom we don't agree but respect their right to a different opinion from ours, and between a ship of hate organised by violent Turkish terror extremists," Mr Netanyahu's office quoted him as saying. Mary Hughes, a co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement which organised the shipment, told the BBC she was "outraged" by the latest Israeli action. "They (the Israelis) once again went into international water and violently boarded a boat and forced people against their will to go to Israel, when all we wanted was to be left to go to Gaza, which is our goal," she said. She added that further aid shipments to Gaza would be organised. "We will continue until we break the siege," she said. Passengers gathered There are five Irish and six Malaysian pro-Palestinian activists, plus several crew, on the boat. The Rachel Corrie is named after a US college student who was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer as she protested over house demolitions in Gaza in 2003. Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007, when the Islamist Hamas movement took control of the territory. The 1,200 tonne cargo ship was boarded about 16 nautical miles (30km) off the Israeli coast. Israeli military spokeswoman Lt Col Avital Leibovich said the takeover took just minutes, and the ship's captain had gathered the passengers in one area of the vessel. Aerial Footage of IDF Soldiers Boarding the 7th Flotilla Boat without Incident, 5 June 2010 Footage taken by the Israeli military from a helicopter above the Rachel Corrie showed the activists sitting in the middle of the top deck. The ship had previously ignored repeated requests to change course, the Israeli military said. The Cyprus-based Free Gaza Movement is a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups and human rights organisations. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev accused the group of hypocrisy, saying "While they appear to use the language of human rights in, their propaganda, it appears they have embraced the [Hamas] regime that has no respect for human rights whatsoever," AP said. The Rachel Corrie is carrying hundreds of tonnes of aid, including wheelchairs, medical supplies and cement. Construction materials are banned from entering Gaza by Israel, which says they could be used for military purposes by Hamas. Israel came under fierce criticism after its troops shot dead nine people during a violent confrontation with those on board the Turkish Mavi Marmara in the early hours of Monday Israel says its commandos were attacked with weapons, including knives, and opened fire in self-defence. Activists on the ship say troops shot at them without provocation. The BBC's Jon Donnison in Gaza says Hamas has declared the week's events a victory, and a defeat for Israel. Hamas says the world's attention is now focused on Israel's blockade of the territory, he adds. Israel says its policies towards Gaza will not change while Hamas remains in power and while rockets continue to be fired from Gaza into Israel. Protests over Israeli action against Gaza aid shipments were held in several cities around the world on Saturday, including Dublin, London, Istanbul, Paris and Cairo.

DTN News: ‘Flawless’ Vertical Landing By F-35 Signals Possible Tipping Point

DTN News: ‘Flawless’ Vertical Landing By F-35 Signals Possible Tipping Point Source: DTN News / Flight International By Stephen Trimble (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 24, 2010: Lockheed Martin still has much to prove, but two days of flight tests on 17-18 March did more than offer a short burst of relief for the F-35programme's supporters.

Both the timing and visual effect of the hover and vertical landing tests offer the opportunity for Lockheed to achieve a critical tipping point in the programme.

In a single 13min sortie, BAE Systems test pilot Graham Tomlinson provided a vivid glimpse of the F-35's most impressive features, which Lockheed rushed to post onYouTube within an hour of the event. Moreover, achieving both hover and vertical landing milestone events within a two-day window - with only the availability of a redundant search and rescue helicopter delaying the vertical landing event by 2h - lends hope that Lockheed can begin closing a gaping lag in the flight-test schedule.

Only about 3% of more than 1,200 flight tests planned in fiscal year 2010 had been completed through February, while the vertical landing itself had been delayed from mid-2009.

As always, programme officials spoke confidently of making real progress. Speaking after the historic flight, Tomlinson said the same flight recorded a total of 40 test points. Lockheed plans call for averaging 10 test points per each sortie over the nine-year span of the flight-test phase on all three aircraft variants.

"It's certainly not a smooth sequence yet, but we're making some giant steps with some of the sorties we're experiencing at the moment," Tomlinson says.

Perhaps humbled by a series of recent setbacks, Tom Burbage, Lockheed F-35 vice-president, struck a cautious tone. F-35 programme officials predicted at last year's Paris air show that the programme would achieve 1,600 sorties in 2011, meaning each of the 12 flight test aircraft would fly 12 times a month. But Burbage stopped short of predicting such success after the vertical landing event.

Instead, he cited the programme's arguably next biggest milestone event. Lockheed is scheduled to fly two conventional take-off and landing F-35As to Eglin AFB, Florida, in mid-year to stand-up the first training unit.

By that time, Burbage says, "we'll be able to get a really good lock on whether we can achieve these kind of legacy-type [sortie] rates, and we think we will".

For the moment, however, the programme can celebrate a key breakthrough. Even some of the programme officials acknowledged the F-35B's flawless landing surprised them.

"I'm still rather speechless about it," says Tomlinson, lead test pilot for the short take-off and vertical landing variant. "We constantly expected we'd get issues and we saw nothing."

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: Presenting Special Article "Drawing Heaven", Watch Video!!!!

DTN News: Presenting Special Article "Drawing Heaven", Watch Video!!!! Source: DTN News (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 7, 2010: DTN News would like to take a moment to spread word of PEACE for mankind. This is absolutely unbelievable. I will tell you the basics, she is now 12 years old. She started painting at age 4, her Mother is an atheist so God was never discussed in their home and she really had never been taught anything about him or the bible. She has visions and has told her Mom she has visited heaven numerous times. She gives God the glory for her talent. She has never had an art lesson. P.S. Her family now believes in God! Enjoy. This 3 minute clip from CNN is so awesome ~ DTN News, special thanks to J. Singh for submitting this article "Drawing Heaven".

DTN News: Afghan Authorities Accuse Pakistan Of Killing CIA Operatives

DTN News: Afghan Authorities Accuse Pakistan Of Killing CIA Operatives *Source: RT Russia Today (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - January 09, 2010: Afghan spy officials say the suicide bombing that killed seven CIA agents in Afghanistan just over a week ago may be linked to Pakistan. The attack was carried out by a Jordanian double agent who had strong ties with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Investigative journalist Gerald Posner claims that Afghanistan officials have no doubts about the link. “I had senior [Afghanistan] official say that they were familiar with an American analysis of the bomb,” Posner told RT. “They did a chemical signature after the bombing, they tied it to elements used by ISI, Pakistan’s version of the CIA, and that’s the signature that ties to the Pakistani intelligence. Now the question that confronts the United States is: What do they do with this information, or at least with Afghanistan pointing the finger at Pakistan, one of the U.S.’s allies in the region?”

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY January 02, 2010 ~ Death Toll At 95 In Pakistan Volleyball Bombing

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY January 02, 2010 ~ Death Toll At 95 In Pakistan Volleyball Bombing *Police say suicide bomber drove onto crowded field in North-West Frontier Province town of Lakki Marwat, detonated explosive-laden vehicle *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) KARACHI, Pakistan - January 02, 2010: More bodies are being pulled from the rubble of a sports complex in northwestern Pakistan, raising the death toll in Friday's attack on a volleyball game to at least 95. Survivors prepared for funerals Saturday, while officials warn the number of victims is likely to increase as recovery efforts moved through their second day. Police say the suicide bomber drove onto a crowded field in the North-West Frontier Province town of Lakki Marwat Friday and detonated his explosive-laden vehicle while hundreds of spectators watched the match, including women and children. The blast caused nearby homes to collapse and damaged a nearby mosque where tribal elders were meeting. Police say that meeting may have been the attacker's intended target. Some officials have raised concerns about meager medical facilities in Lakki Marwat. Doctors from surrounding areas have come to the town to help treat the more than 100 wounded. There have been no claims of responsibility, but provincial police chief Malik Naveed tells VOA the bombing may be a militant revenge attack against local residents who set up a militia force to combat Taliban insurgents. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement Friday, saying the United States strongly condemns the attack and will continue to stand with Pakistan in its efforts to combat violent extremism and bolster democracy. Clinton said terrorists have targeted schools, markets, mosques, "and now a volleyball game." She said the U.S. supports Pakistan in its efforts to chart a "future free from fear and intimidation." Friday's attack was the deadliest in Pakistan in more than two months. Suicide Bomber Kills 75 At Village Volleyball Match In Pakistan's Northwest . A suicide bomber blew up his sport-utility vehicle in the middle of a village volleyball game in northwestern Pakistan on Friday afternoon, killing 75 people and injuring more than 100 in a community that has repeatedly defied Taliban extremists. Police speculated that the horrific bombing in the village of Shah Hassan Khel, in the Lakki Marwat district, was an act of reprisal against area leaders who last year formed private militias to oppose the Taliban and recently turned in a group of extremist fighters to the authorities. The attack was the latest in a string of bombings across Pakistan that have increasingly targeted civilians and killed more than 500 people since September. The Taliban has asserted responsibility for many of them but denied carrying out others. On Monday, an explosion targeting a Shiite religious procession killed 44 people in the southern port city of Karachi. On Friday, the city of 18 million people was virtually shut down in protest. An October bombing in a women's bazaar in Peshawar, in the northwest, left more then 80 people dead. The northwestern region -- near the Afghan border as well as the tribal area of South Waziristan, where the Pakistani army has been carrying out operations against Taliban forces since October -- has borne the brunt of the violence. Assailants have struck markets, mosques and other crowded civilian targets there, but Friday's bombing was the first to single out a sporting event. Several previous attacks were clearly carried out in retaliation against communities and leaders who resisted the Taliban. In November, a bombing in a rural market killed a mayor who had openly defied the extremists. As more communities begin fighting back, there is concern that reprisal attacks will increase. Among those killed and wounded by Friday's powerful explosion were women and children watching the volleyball match, on a playing field in the heart of the village. The bombing also damaged houses and other buildings. The area's remoteness caused delays in transporting the wounded to hospitals, and the death toll rose all evening. People sit beside a victim of a suicide bombing at a local hospital in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. A suicide bomber set off an explosives-laden vehicle on a field during a volleyball tournament Friday in northwest Pakistan, killing scores of people and wounding dozens, police said. Anwar Kamal Marwat, a politician and tribal leader who organized anti-Taliban militias in the Lakki Marwat district, said by telephone from Peshawar that the bombing was definitely intended to retaliate against the armed and organized villagers, who had recently arrested and turned in 24 Taliban members. "They have been punished for their active role against the militants," Marwat said, noting that the Taliban influence had been growing in the village area before the private militias struck back. The local police chief, Ayub Khan, echoed that assessment, telling the Associated Press that the bombing appeared to be a reaction to the "expulsion" of local Taliban fighters. He said that the bomber's vehicle contained 500 pounds of high-intensity explosives and that a second suicide vehicle may have escaped from the area. The bombing took place as the latest airstrike by suspected U.S. drones struck a car carrying three suspected Taliban militants in North Waziristan. A missile strike Thursday struck a house in the same region, killing three people, according to Pakistani officials.