Aerial bombing campaign continues unabated... nothing changes
With complete command and control of the skies over Afghanistan and what used to be called Iraq the US and allied Air Forces maintained their stauration bombing... detailed at Air Force Link November 11th when we remember the dead of 2 World Wars.
In Afghanistan, an Air Force B-1B Lancer and an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle dropped a guided bomb unit-31 and GBU-38s onto anti-Afghan forces who were firing rocket- propelled grenades at coalition forces conducting operations in the vicinity of Shkin (4 miles from the Pakistan boarder at an elevation of 7800ft see map) . The missions were confirmed a success (as ever) by an on-scene joint terminal attack controller.
This brings to mind an incident on April 9, 2003 when the USAF killed 11 civilians and wounded one. A coalition bomb hit a home after an Afghan militia checkpoint came under attack in Shkin on the Pakistani border. Four militiamen were wounded in the attack. A quick reaction force from Coalition Task Force 82 responded to the attack on the checkpoint, said officials. The checkpoint is very near the firebase in Shkin and about a mile and a half from the border. The force spotted two groups of five to 10 enemy and chased them toward the border. The force requested air support, and Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers responded. One Harrier engaged the enemy with cannon fire and the other dropped a 1,000-pound laser-guided bomb. That bomb missed the intended target and struck the house.
In total, 62 close-air-support missions were flown in support of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.
