Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Pakistan: US gunship helicopters attack South Waziristan - 15 dead

Pakistan: US gunship helicopters attack South Waziristan - 15 dead (NSI News Source Info) WANA - September 3, 2008: At least 15 people, including women and children, were killed in South Waziristan on Wednesday in an attack a security official and a witness said was carried out by US forces from Afghanistan. The attack involving helicopters took place in the village of Angor Adda in the South Waziristan region, they said.Pakistani military spokesmen, and US military spokesmen in Afghanistan, were not immediately available for comment. The United States says al Qaeda and Taliban militants are based in sanctuaries in northwest Pakistan's ethnic Pashtun tribal areas on the Afghan border. There were differing accounts of the pre-dawn attack on Wednesday with some people saying it was carried out by helicopter gunships while others spoke of an attack by ground troops as well." Troops came in helicopters and carried out action in three houses at around 3 a.m. (2100 GMT)," said Gul Nawaz, a shopkeeper in the village. Security and government officials put the death toll at 15 but residents of the village said it could be as high as 17. US-operated pilotless drone aircraft have launched attacks in Pakistani border regions several times this year, killing dozens of militants, but US ground troops have not been known to cross into Pakistan to fight militants.

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