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US drone crashes in Pakistan
Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:39PM GMT
LAST UPDATE
PressTV - US drone crashes in Pakistan
A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the US military has reportedly crashed in Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan.
The drone went down near Chaman town close to the Afghan border on Thursday night, a Press TV correspondent reported.
The drone apparently crashed due to a technical fault, but caused no damage or loss of life.
A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the wreckage of the aircraft had been recovered.
The US has stepped up its unauthorized airstrikes in Pakistan since US President Barack Obama took office in 2009.
US officials say the attacks target militants. However, a majority of the victims of the attacks are civilians.
Islamabad has often voiced its anger at repeated non-UN sanctioned US drone strikes.
The issue of civilian casualties has strained relations between Islamabad and Washington.
The United Nations says the US-operated drone strikes in Pakistan pose a growing challenge to the international rule of law.
Philip Alston, UN special envoy on extrajudicial killings, said in a report in late October 2010 that the attacks were undermining the rules designed to protect the right of life.
Alston also said he feared that the drone killings by the US Central Intelligence Agency could develop a "playstation" mentality.
MP/JR/MGH
Two US drones go down in Somalia
Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:25AM GMT
PressTV - Two US drones go down in Somalia
American Predator drone firing two Hellfire missiles (file photo)
Two unmanned aerial vehicles operated by the US military have reportedly crashed in Somalia's drought-stricken capital of Mogadishu.
The first drone went down in close proximity to Mogadishu's Aden-Adde International Airport on Wednesday evening. The remains of the aircraft were retrieved by Somali government and African Union forces, a Press TV correspondent reported.
Later in the day, another American remote-controlled drone crashed onto the Florenza Street, which connects the Presidential Palace, or Villa Somalia, with district of Hararyale.
Somalia is the sixth known country where Washington uses remote-aerial vehicles to conduct surveillance and air strikes.
The United States has employed drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Iraq and Yemen to launch aerial bombings.
Somalia has been without a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Strategically located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia remains one of the countries generating the highest number of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world.
MP/MGH
US drone crashes in north Afghanistan
Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:26AM GMT
UPDATE
An unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the US military forces has reportedly crashed in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh.
The US drone went down in the suburbs of the Afghan city of Balkh, located 324 kilometers (201 miles) north of the capital Kabul, on Monday, provincial officials told Press TV.
However, local residents claimed that two US reconnaissance aircraft have crashed in the area, and Taliban militants have retrieved the wreckage of the drones.
The US military has not commented on the cause of the crash, which marks the third US unmanned plane going down in Afghanistan this week.
Taliban militants claimed on Sunday that they had shot down an unmanned US reconnaissance drone in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.
On Saturday, an American drone crashed due to “technical faults” during a reconnaissance mission in Ghazni province in central Afghanistan, according to a statement released by the media office of the US-led NATO forces.
The Taliban militants claim they have shot down several aircraft and NATO choppers in different parts of Afghanistan over the past few months.
The militants have proven resilient despite the presence of around 150,000 US-led forces in Afghanistan.
They have steadily stepped up their attacks on the US-led forces, inflicting heavy casualties and damage on them.
MP/HRF
'US drone gunned down in Afghanistan'
Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:16AM GMT
UPDATE 1
Taliban militants claim they have shot down an unmanned US reconnaissance drone in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.
Taliban spokesman Zabihollah Mojahed claimed that the militants gunned down the aircraft late on Saturday.
Witnesses told Press TV that they saw the drone catching fire mid-air and crashing into a civilian house.
Earlier this week, another US drone crashed due to technical problems in eastern Ghazni Province, NATO said in a statement.
The Taliban spokesman had claimed that the militants shot down the unmanned plane.
The Taliban militants say they have shot down several aircraft and NATO choppers in different parts of Afghanistan over the past few months.
The militants have proven resilient despite the presence of around 150,000 US-led forces in Afghanistan.
Taliban have steadily stepped up their attacks on the US-led forces, inflicting heavy casualties and damage on them.
AGB/MYA/HRF
Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:39PM GMT
LAST UPDATE
PressTV - US drone crashes in Pakistan
A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the US military has reportedly crashed in Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan.
The drone went down near Chaman town close to the Afghan border on Thursday night, a Press TV correspondent reported.
The drone apparently crashed due to a technical fault, but caused no damage or loss of life.
A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the wreckage of the aircraft had been recovered.
The US has stepped up its unauthorized airstrikes in Pakistan since US President Barack Obama took office in 2009.
US officials say the attacks target militants. However, a majority of the victims of the attacks are civilians.
Islamabad has often voiced its anger at repeated non-UN sanctioned US drone strikes.
The issue of civilian casualties has strained relations between Islamabad and Washington.
The United Nations says the US-operated drone strikes in Pakistan pose a growing challenge to the international rule of law.
Philip Alston, UN special envoy on extrajudicial killings, said in a report in late October 2010 that the attacks were undermining the rules designed to protect the right of life.
Alston also said he feared that the drone killings by the US Central Intelligence Agency could develop a "playstation" mentality.
MP/JR/MGH
Two US drones go down in Somalia
Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:25AM GMT
PressTV - Two US drones go down in Somalia
American Predator drone firing two Hellfire missiles (file photo)
Two unmanned aerial vehicles operated by the US military have reportedly crashed in Somalia's drought-stricken capital of Mogadishu.
The first drone went down in close proximity to Mogadishu's Aden-Adde International Airport on Wednesday evening. The remains of the aircraft were retrieved by Somali government and African Union forces, a Press TV correspondent reported.
Later in the day, another American remote-controlled drone crashed onto the Florenza Street, which connects the Presidential Palace, or Villa Somalia, with district of Hararyale.
Somalia is the sixth known country where Washington uses remote-aerial vehicles to conduct surveillance and air strikes.
The United States has employed drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Iraq and Yemen to launch aerial bombings.
Somalia has been without a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Strategically located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia remains one of the countries generating the highest number of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world.
MP/MGH
US drone crashes in north Afghanistan
Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:26AM GMT
UPDATE
An unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the US military forces has reportedly crashed in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh.
The US drone went down in the suburbs of the Afghan city of Balkh, located 324 kilometers (201 miles) north of the capital Kabul, on Monday, provincial officials told Press TV.
However, local residents claimed that two US reconnaissance aircraft have crashed in the area, and Taliban militants have retrieved the wreckage of the drones.
The US military has not commented on the cause of the crash, which marks the third US unmanned plane going down in Afghanistan this week.
Taliban militants claimed on Sunday that they had shot down an unmanned US reconnaissance drone in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.
On Saturday, an American drone crashed due to “technical faults” during a reconnaissance mission in Ghazni province in central Afghanistan, according to a statement released by the media office of the US-led NATO forces.
The Taliban militants claim they have shot down several aircraft and NATO choppers in different parts of Afghanistan over the past few months.
The militants have proven resilient despite the presence of around 150,000 US-led forces in Afghanistan.
They have steadily stepped up their attacks on the US-led forces, inflicting heavy casualties and damage on them.
MP/HRF
'US drone gunned down in Afghanistan'
Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:16AM GMT
UPDATE 1
Taliban militants claim they have shot down an unmanned US reconnaissance drone in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.
Taliban spokesman Zabihollah Mojahed claimed that the militants gunned down the aircraft late on Saturday.
Witnesses told Press TV that they saw the drone catching fire mid-air and crashing into a civilian house.
Earlier this week, another US drone crashed due to technical problems in eastern Ghazni Province, NATO said in a statement.
The Taliban spokesman had claimed that the militants shot down the unmanned plane.
The Taliban militants say they have shot down several aircraft and NATO choppers in different parts of Afghanistan over the past few months.
The militants have proven resilient despite the presence of around 150,000 US-led forces in Afghanistan.
Taliban have steadily stepped up their attacks on the US-led forces, inflicting heavy casualties and damage on them.
AGB/MYA/HRF