Washington, July 20(ANI): Just days after a US Navy SEALs raid killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, the American forces reportedly came within inches of killing US-born radical Islamic cleric and Al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen's Shabwa province.
According to ABC News, on May 5, the US military dispatched an array of heavily armed warplanes, including Marine Harrier jets, predator drones and a special operations aircraft to follow a pickup truck in which al-Awlaki was a passenger.owever, unlike the successful mission that eliminated bin Laden, this raid would be marred by what an official described as a series of "errors".
Crews tracking al-Awlaki were unable to keep the laser from the targeting pod, which guides missiles into their targets, locked on the moving truck.
The first missile, launched from the special operations aircraft, missed the target.
The miss gave al-Awlaki time to call additional Al-Qaeda operatives for help, after which more vehicles descended on the area to confuse those tracking him.
When the US finally managed to hit the original truck with missiles, killing the men inside, al-Awlaki was not one of them.
Two operatives died, but al-Awlaki got away. There has been no sign of him since.
According to US officials, al-Awlaki is a senior talent recruiter and motivator, who has also become "operational" as a planner and trainer "for Al-Qaeda and all of its franchises". (ANI)
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