US UAV Down Near Afghan Border

Officials Say Militants Recovered Part Of The Wreckage.

A UAV reportedly went down Saturday in North Waziristan near the Afghan border, according to U.S. military officials. The unmanned reconnaissance aircraft went down about 20 miles east of Miranshah, a town that is the frequent target of UAV attacks against Taliban and Al-Qaeda target.

The French news service AFP reports that a military official said the accident was caused by a "technical fault ." Some Taliban militants, which surrounded the crash site, said they had shot the drone down. The militants had managed to carry away some parts of the aircraft.

The Obama administration has recently stepped up attacks using UAVs against Taliban and Al-Qaeda targets in Pakistani territory, but have been very stingy with details of the operations. The strikes are very unpopular with the Pakistani public, but have seen a dramatic increase as a factor in the administration's planned withdrawal of combat troops from the region by the end of 2014.


Source: 28 February 2012 - www.defense.gov

Photo: U.S. Air Force UAV on Afghanistan (Photo by Shephard Group)


(2/28/2012)