Al Qaeda Has Drones
Charles Johnson
Tue Sep 13, 2005 at 6:03 pm PDT • Views: 248
Pakistan forces find spy drone, arrest militants.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistani forces recovered an unmanned drone aircraft and seized 21 militants in a raid on suspected Al-Qaeda hideouts in the tribal areas near Afghanistan, a top commander said.
Militants used the Chinese-made vehicle to spy on security forces in the rugged area, where Pakistani soldiers have battled Islamic militants for more than a year, Lieutenant General Safdar Hussain told reporters.
The find in North Waziristan, believed to be the first of its kind in Pakistan, came as President Pervez Musharraf unveiled plans to build a fence along part of the border with Afghanistan to curb the movement of militants.
“The busting of this stronghold has broken the back of Al-Qaeda in the tribal area,” Hussain, who commands troops in northwestern Pakistan, told reporters in Peshawar. The 21 suspects detained in Monday’s raid on a compound and religious school near the region’s main town of Miranshah included “important” militants and some were foreigners, Hussain said. He did not give their nationalities.
“The terrorists used the RPV (remotely-piloted vehicle) to check the position of security forces and attack them,” the general said, adding that the drone was capable of carrying weapons.
Frank says: