U.S. Strikes In Somalia Reportedly Kill 31

Official Says Dead Were Civilians From Village Targeted In Hunt For Alleged Al Qaeda Suspects

(CBS/AP)  Attack helicopters strafed suspected al Qaeda fighters in southern Somalia on Tuesday, witnesses said, following two days of air strikes by U.S. forces — the first U.S. offensives in the African country since 18 American soldiers were killed here in 1993.

In Washington, a U.S. intelligence official said American forces killed five to 10 people in an attack on one target in southern Somalia believed to be associated with al Qaeda. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the operation's sensitivity, said a small number of others present, perhaps four or five, were wounded.

The U.S. military is ready to carry out more strikes, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports. But whether it does will depend on getting good intelligence on the whereabouts of any al Qaeda operatives left alive.

A Somali lawmaker said 31 civilians, including a newlywed couple, died in Tuesday's assault by two helicopters near Afmadow, a town in a forested area close to the Kenyan border. The report could not be independently verified.

A Somali Defense Ministry official described the helicopters as American, but witnesses told The Associated Press they could not make out identification markings on the craft. Washington officials had no comment on the helicopter strike.

The U.S. is hunting down Islamic extremists, said the Somali defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

"These guys deserve to be dead," said CBS News consultant Michael Schueur, a former CIA officer. "I hope we did get them, but in the strategic sense of 'are we closer to winning this war?' I think that's probably not the case."

On Monday, a U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship conducted an initial strike – part of a wider air offensive against suspected members of al Qaeda - Martin first reported.

The Pentagon confirmed Monday's strike targeting al Qaeda operatives late on Tuesday, but did not give any information on who was actually killed.

The targets included the senior al Qaeda leader in East Africa and an al Qaeda operative wanted for his involvement in the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in Africa, Martin reported. Those terror attacks killed more than 200 people.

Earlier, Somalia's president said that the U.S. was pursuing suspects in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa, and that the effort has his support.

Somali troops and their Ethiopian allies were attacked in the capital late Tuesday by gunmen riding in two pickup trucks who fired two rocket propelled grenades, witnesses said.

The rocket attack was followed by several minutes of rifle fire. One Somali soldier was killed and two other soldiers and a bystander were wounded, said minibus driver Harun Ahmed, who took the injured to a hospital.

Col. Shino Moalin Nur, a Somali military commander, told the AP by telephone late Tuesday that at least one U.S. AC-130 gunship attacked a suspected al Qaeda training camp Sunday on a remote island at the southern tip of Somalia next to Kenya.

Somali officials said they had reports of many deaths.

On Monday, witnesses and Nur said, more U.S. air strikes were launched against Islamic extremists in Hayi, 30 miles from Afmadow. Nur said attacks continued Tuesday.

"Nobody can exactly explain what is going on inside these forested areas," the Somali commander said. "However, we are receiving reports that most of the Islamist fighters have died and the rest would be captured soon."

In Washington on Tuesday, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman spoke of one strike in southern Somalia, but would not confirm any of the details or say whether any al Qaeda militants were killed.

The assault was based on intelligence "that led us to believe we had principal al Qaeda leaders in an area where we could identify them and take action against them," Whitman said.

[usawatchman]

How come this isn't front page news???

A Somali lawmaker said 31 civilians, including a newlywed couple, died in Tuesday's assault by two helicopters near Afmadow, a town in a forested area close to the Kenyan border.

The war this war on terror is working,
they can shoot up a car pool on their way to soocer practice, and say they were trying to get the terrorest....

I would think after the first couple of time they
KILL THE WRONG PEOPLE
that they would not let theses CRIMINAL THUGS
continue to fight this war this way...

[usawatchman]

How come this isn't front page news???

A Somali lawmaker said 31 civilians, including a newlywed couple, died in Tuesday's assault by two helicopters near Afmadow, a town in a forested area close to the Kenyan border.

The war this war on terror is working,
they can shoot up a car pool on their way to soocer practice, and say they were trying to get the terrorest....

I would think after the first couple of time they
KILL THE WRONG PEOPLE
that they would not let theses CRIMINAL THUGS
continue to fight this war this way...

[gacallo94]

There are no Al-Qaida in Somalia, and if there is one, Why USA waited so long to get them out of Somalia.
I am sure USA knows that there is Al-Qaida in Somalia.
If there were Al-Qaida in Somalia, We (Somalian) would be the best candidate to get them out. and we are ready to do that, but AC-130 would only destroy the homes and the life of weakest, innocent, refugees. Most casualties are domestic animals and refugees.

Thank

Safia

[gacallo94]

There are no Al-Qaida in Somalia, and if there is one, Why USA waited so long to get them out of Somalia.
I am sure USA knows that there is Al-Qaida in Somalia.
If there were Al-Qaida in Somalia, We (Somalian) would be the best candidate to get them out. and we are ready to do that, but AC-130 would only destroy the homes and the life of weakest, innocent, refugees. Most casualties are domestic animals and refugees.

Thank

Safia

[nothappyatall]

..."1998 bombing of..."

1998???

Yep, Bush is making sure he is doing all he can to provoke another 9/11 so he can continue this whole fiasco, his Haliburton buddies LOVE him!

"U.S. was pursuing suspects"

SUSPECTS? so now we kill people at random we THINK might be suspects.

[feelfree1]

Is this thing on?

[feelfree1]

Re: "Official Says Dead Were Civilians From Village"

Why is this not surprising?

Just a reminder- there is no legal basis for the U.S. to torture, and/or summarily execute people around the globe, based on a whim, and faith-based hype.

What will be the final bill, for the Bush Butchers?

[samdeaton]

You acurately show a USAF C-130 gunship (airplane), but report a helicopter attack. What gives?

[grazinggoat]

What lies haven't they used yet? AlQaeda is becoming the scapegoat in every invasion. Why Walking-Liar isn't capable of calling things by proper names. Oil on the outskirts of the continent, deep in the waters. Somalia is located on the corner elbow of Africa. Not far away from Saudi Arabia. Oil must not be stranger to this intervention one can say.

[grazinggoat]

What lies haven't they used yet? AlQaeda is becoming the scapegoat in every invasion. Why Walking-Liar isn't capable of calling things by proper names. Oil on the outskirts of the continent, deep in the waters. Somalia is located on the corner elbow of Africa. Not far away from Saudi Arabia. Oil must not be stranger to this intervention one can say.

[williamfold]

was my last message "screened". LOL

[williamfold]

"The latest attacks killed at least 27 civilians"..."The attack helicopters were trying to kill Islamic extremists, said a defense ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity"

and we wonder why people hate us. murder under the guise of "democracy" or the "war on terror", isn't really murder, right?

[inventagod]

The Bu$h 'war on terror' is only a thinly-veiled attempt at being opportunistic world cops.

The chances of you even meeting a 'terrorist' in your lifetime is nil, and the jury is still out on the 9/11 atrocity being planned by terrorists instead of rogue U.S. politicians.

Bu$h, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Halliburton could be the real terrorists of this planet.

[samdeaton]

You acurately show a USAF C-130 gunship (airplane), but report a helicopter attack. What gives CBS?

[usawatchman]

How does the Americans kill a mosquito..??

40 mm cannon that fire 120 rounds per minute and
a 105 mm cannon, normally a field artillery weapon.

[usawatchman]

Whose Jeopardy???

40 mm cannon that fire 120 rounds per minute and
a 105 mm cannon, normally a field artillery weapon.

How does the Americans kill a mosquito..??

[usawatchman]

Whose Jeopardy???

40 mm cannon that fire 120 rounds per minute and
a 105 mm cannon, normally a field artillery weapon.

How does the Americans kill a mosquito..??

[agnim]

The cowardly raining of death on the INNOCENT Somalis from the air is beastly.

The wanton killing of the MANY INNOCENT Somalis just to ensure death of A FEW ALLEGED TERRORISTS is devilish!

[agnim]

The cowardly raining of death on the INNOCENT from the air is beastly.

The wanton killing of the MANY INNOCENT just to ensure death of A FEW ALLEGED GUILTY is devilish!

[forparity]

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