Iraq Downs Third US Predator Drone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military lost another unmanned Predator surveillance aircraft on a mission over southern Iraq Wednesday, the third such crash since Aug. 27, the military's Central Command headquarters said. (Map)The announcement from command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, said the 3.2 million Air Force RQ-1B drone disappeared and there was no indication whether it had malfunctioned or been shot down by Iraqi air defenses.
A senior Western defense source earlier told Reuters in Kuwait that the Predator, one of several being used to monitor a ``no-fly'' zone over southern Iraq, was missing. Iraq state television also said it had shot down a spy plane in the south at 12:42 p.m. in southern Iraq. Iraq also said previously that it had first downed one of the aircraft in August and again on Sept. 11 -- the day hijacked passenger planes slammed into landmarks in New York and Washington, killing more than 5,500 people.
The Defense Department confirmed that the two drones were missing, but said it could not confirm whether the crashes were because of malfunctions or ground fire.
Pentagon officials have voiced concern about a dwindling number of Predators, which are also being used to monitor the situation in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, now under attack by U.S. and British forces, recently said it had shot down a spy plane. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld confirmed one was missing there.

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