HELMAND, Afghanistan — A smart bomb has been used to destroy something that costs more than a smart bomb for the first time since the introduction of precision-guided munitions in 1968, sources confirmed today.

U.S. forces employed Hellfire laser-guided missiles to destroy five Taliban gun trucks as they prepared to attack Musa Qala, a district center in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

"We assess the value of these trucks that we destroyed as being about $200,000 a pop," Gen. Austin S. Miller, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, told reporters. "A Hellfire missile only costs $115,000. This was the most efficient strike we've seen in this war yet.

The White House said the strike is proof the administration's strategy in Afghanistan is working.

"This is what winning looks like. It's proof that we're putting the Taliban in a place where they be forced to negotiate," said a senior administration official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. "They can't afford this."

Some Pentagon off…