Pakistan troops battle Taliban for US drone debris

The drone crashed in a rugged tribal area near the Afghan border, Pakistani intelligence officials said Sunday.The unmanned aircraft crashed near Jangara village in the South Waziristan tribal area, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media.The village is located near the border with North Waziristan.The officials told a news agency they learned of the crash by intercepting Taliban radio communications but dont know what caused it. Both North and South Waziristan are home to many Taliban fighters, though it is unclear whether they shot down the aircraft or if it crashed because of technical problems.The debris was first seized by the Taliban. Several hours after the crash, the Pakistan Army sent soldiers in to wrest it out of militant hands, sparking a fight with the Taliban in which three militants were killed, said the officials. Three militants and two soldiers were also wounded in the clash, they said.Nawab Khan, a government official in South Waziristan, confirmed the drone crash and the subsequent clash between militants and Army troops. But he did not know whether the Army had successfully seized the debris.