Here’s a rather familiar story:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Coalition raids aimed at disrupting the flow of weapons and fighters between Iraq and Iran resulted in the deaths of at least 20 militants early Monday in eastern Iraq, according to a statement from the U.S. military.

Coalition aircraft were called in to strafe fighters who attacked coalition troops in Amara and Majjar al-Kabir, two Shiite cities in the Maysan province bordering Iran, the military said.

"During the close air support, at least 20 terrorists were killed and six suspected terrorists were assessed to be wounded by the strafing," the military said. "A vehicle being used by the terrorists as a fighting position was also destroyed by the close air support."

Coalition forces captured militants who are "believed to be members of the secret cell terrorist network known for facilitating the transport of weapons and explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, from Iran to Iraq, as well as bringing militants from Iraq to Iran for terrorist training," the military said.

So much to look at! Of course, Viet Nam Rules apply. *

Was it “at least” 20 terrorists because they had 20 bodies or because a 500 lb bomb makes statistical work difficult? The Tornado G4 is the RAF close support air platform. It is optimized for a variety of air-to-ground weapons, and carries the Mauser 27mm cannon. The Jaguar GR3 likewise is ideal for ground support, armed with the Aden 30mm cannon, and able to carry a variety of munitions.

You can put a lot of metal into a small area while tooling along at 400 knots. Body counting can be difficult, at best. But it is easy to win “hearts and minds” when they’re both lying separately on dusty sand.

Of course, the report is problematic, since British ground forces have been deployed along the Maysan/Iran border for quite some time now, and have seen no evidence of weapons movement. We discussed the problems in January 2007 and September 2006.

Security for Maysan province was recently transferred from British rule to the Iraqi national government.

* Viet Nam Rules: A dead male over 14 is a “terrorist” If the dead body is female, or under 14, then it was a “terrorist sympathizer,” or “terrorist supporter” if there is any kind of shopping bag near the body. If there is a weapon on the ground between two dead bodies, you hit the jackpot! It was a “terrorist cell.”