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| Pakistan bombs militants, ground offensive imminent 56 minutes ago By Robert Birsel ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani aircraft attacked Taliban militants in their South Waziristan stronghold near the Afghan border as the government said a ground offensive against the al Qaeda-linked fighters was imminent. The aircraft struck the militants late on Sunday, hours after commandos stormed an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage after an attack on the army headquarters. "The jets hit and destroyed two of their hideouts in Makeen and Ladha and we have a total of about 16 militants killed," a Pakistani intelligence official in the region said. Pakistani Taliban militants linked to al Qaeda have launched numerous attacks on government and foreign targets over the past couple of years killing hundreds of people. The military has been conducting air and artillery strikes in south Waziristan for months, while moving troops, blockading the region and trying to split off militant factions. But a ground offensive, in what could be the army's toughest test since militants turned on the state, has yet to begin. Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Reuters in an interview in Singapore the offensive was "imminent." "There is no mercy for them because our determination and resolve is to flush them out," Malik said. "They have no room in Pakistan, I promise you." Malik said members of the Pakistani Taliban and al Qaeda were suspected to have been behind Saturday's attack on army headquarters in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, which ended a week when suicide bombers struck in the capital Islamabad and Peshawar, killing more than 50 people. Security officials said there appeared to be links between the attackers, who were disguised in army uniforms, and militant groups based in Punjab province. But Malik said it was too early to say whether those groups were involved. STOCKS NOT DENTED Malik said the offensive against the militants in South Waziristan was no longer a matter of choice. "It is not an issue of commitment, it is becoming a compulsion because there was an appeal from the local tribes that we should do the operation," he said. About 28,000 troops have been put in place to take on an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban, army officials said earlier. Investors in Pakistan's main stock market were unperturbed by the weekend of violence outside the army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in which nine gunmen, eight soldiers and three hostages were killed. "The market discounted the GHQ thing completely today," said Ashraf Zakaria, a dealer at brokers Ali Hussain Rajabali and Co. The main index was 0.02 percent lower at 9,766.31 at 0533 GMT. "The matter was resolved very quickly and the efficient way that things were handled made sure that investor confidence was not dented," Zakaria said. Security around the headquarters, and in the nearby capital, is very tight but analysts say it is very difficult to guard against gunmen disguised as security force members who are prepared to kill anyone who challenges them, and to be killed. The gunmen were stopped at a main gate and did not get into the headquarters. An offensive in South Waziristan would not have a long-term effect on the market as investors felt concrete action was necessary, dealers said. Early on Monday, aircraft also attacked militants in the Bajaur region, about 250 km (150 miles) northeast of Waziristan, government officials in the region on the Afghan border said. "Two jets have been bombing militant hideouts in areas very close to the Afghan border. They've made several sorties," said one official who declined to be identified. There was no information on casualties in the latest attacks. (Additional reporting by Faisal Aziz, Sahibzada Bahauddin and Hafiz Wazir; Editing by Nick Macfie) |
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Ground offensive begins in Pakistan al-Qaida haven MUNIR AHMAD, AP 10/17/2009 | 04:29 PM ISLAMABAD More than 30,000 Pakistani soldiers launched a much-awaited ground offensive in an al-Qaida and Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border early Saturday, officials told The Associated Press the nuclear-armed U.S. ally's toughest test yet against militants aiming to topple the state.The offensive in South Waziristan follows months of airstrikes intended to soften up militant defenses that have also forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee. The full-scale operation also comes after two weeks of militant attacks that have killed more than 175 people and ramped up the pressure on the army to take on the insurgents. Aside from being the nerve-center for Pakistani insurgents opposed to the U.S.-backed central government, South Waziristan is a key base for foreign and national jihadi groups planning attacks on American and NATO targets in Afghanistan and beyond. The U.S. is racing to send in night-vision goggles and other equipment to aid the latest operation. The region is remote and mountainous. It has a leaky border with Afghanistan and fiercely independent tribes who have long resisted government interference. With winter snows just weeks away, the army has limited time to pursue a major ground attack there, and even if it does manage to wipe out its intended targets, it's unclear whether troops will occupy the area or for how long. Even if the operation is largely successful in South Waziristan, many of the militants could escape to Afghanistan or other parts of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt. The officials Saturday two with intelligence, three with the government and one senior army official gave few details but said the troops were pursuing militants holed up in the region, including in major trouble spots such as Ladha and Makeen towns. The army has sent more than 30,000 troops to the region to participate in the combat, said one of the intelligence officials. He said the ground forces were attacking from different directions while helicopter gunships and other aircraft also were bombing various sites. The military already has said it already has sealed off many supply and escape routes. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information or because they did not have authority to release it to media on the record. It is nearly impossible to verify information from the region independently. Foreigners require special permission to enter tribal areas and many Pakistani journalists from other parts of the country are at risk there. The army has tried three times since 2001 to dislodge Taliban fighters from South Waziristan. All three previous attempts ended in negotiated truces that left the Taliban in control. This time the military has said there will be no deals, partly to avoid jeopardizing gains won earlier this year when Pakistani soldiers overpowered the Taliban in the Swat Valley, another northwest region. In a previous interview with AP, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the assault would be limited to slain Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud's holdings a swath of territory that stretches roughly 1,275 square miles (3,310 square kilometers). That portion covers about half of South Waziristan, which itself is slightly larger than the U.S. state of Delaware. The plan is to capture and hold the area where Abbas estimates 10,000 insurgents are headquartered and reinforced with about 1,500 foreign fighters, most of them of Central Asian origin. "There are Arabs, but the Arabs are basically in the leadership, providing resources and expertise and in the role of trainers," he said. Taliban spokesmen could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday. Communications in and around the region appeared jammed, making it difficult to reach local residents or other witnesses. The army expects the militants to use guerrilla tactics including ambushes, suicide attacks and roadside bombs. A roadside bomb hit a security convoy in Ladha early Saturday, killing one soldier and wounding three others, two other intelligence officials said. Despite sometimes rocky relations with the Pakistani military, the U.S. is trying to rush in equipment that would help with mobility, night fighting and precision bombing, a U.S. Embassy official told The Associated Press in a recent interview, speaking on condition of anonymity because the issue is politically sensitive. In addition to night-vision devices, the Pakistan military has said it is seeking additional Cobra helicopter gunships, heliborne lift capability, laser-guided munitions and intelligence equipment to monitor cell and satellite telephones. The army has considered the weather in the timing the offensive. Snows in the region could block major roads. At the same time, a harsh winter could work to the army's advantage by driving fighters out of their unheated mountain hideouts. Amnesty International said Friday that its research teams in the area report 90,000 to 150,000 residents have fled South Waziristan since July, when the military began a long-range artillery and aerial bombardment in the region. Although the military has been hitting targets in South Waziristan for the past three months, it waited until two weeks ago to say it would definitely go ahead with a major ground offensive into the region. What followed was a rash of major bombings that killed 175 people and demonstrated the militants' ability to attack cities across the county. One attack involved a siege of the army's headquarters that lasted 22 hours and left 23 people dead. In the latest bombing, three suicide attackers, including a woman, struck a police station in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Friday, killing 13 people. |
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| PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani forces fought fierce battles with Taliban militants on Sunday, a day after launching a long-awaited offensive aimed at bringing the writ of state to lawless tribal lands on the Afghan border. The offensive on the global Islamist hub of South Waziristan follows a string of brazen militant attacks in different parts of the country, including an assault on army headquarters, in which more than 150 people were killed. About 28,000 soldiers are battling an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban, including about 1,000 tough Uzbek fighters and some Arab al Qaeda members, after surrounding militant territory and pushing in from three direction. Heavy clashes erupted on Saturday as soldiers backed by aircraft and artillery encountered resistance, and four soldiers were killed and 12 wounded, the military said. There was no information about militant casualties. Security forces captured a Taliban stronghold at Spinkai Raghzai on Saturday after the militants withdrew from their fortifications and took refuge in nearby mountains, officials said. "It is a flat area so whenever they tried to put up resistance, the helicopter gunships fired at them so they decided to flee to the mountains," said a senior government official in the northwest. In a show of unity before the offensive, government and political party leaders gave the military full backing on Friday, vowing to weed out militants. Nuclear-armed Pakistan has been under U.S. pressure to crack down on Islamist militancy as President Barack Obama considers a boost in troop numbers fighting in neighboring Afghanistan. Many al Qaeda and Taliban members fled to northwest Pakistan after U.S.-led troops ousted the Taliban in Kabul in 2001 and the region has become a global hub for Islamist militancy. The offensive could be the army's toughest test since the militants turned on the state and it will be hoping Afghan Taliban factions elsewhere in South Waziristan and in North Waziristan stay out of the fight. Up to 100,000 civilians have fled from South Waziristan in anticipation of the offensive, the army said, while the United Nations said 500 people were leaving every day. Security force are on alert across the country in case of retaliatory strikes. |
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| Militants fired on helicopter gunships and attacked Pakistani troops advancing into their main sanctuary near the Afghan border, residents and those fleeing reported today, as the army pressed ahead with its most critical offensive yet against al Qa'eda and the Taliban. The assault in South Waziristan follows repeated requests from the US to take on the Islamic militants behind soaring terrorist attacks in the nuclear-armed nation and al Qa'eda and other extremists believed to be plotting strikes in the West. The push involves mostly poorly equipped soldiers trained to fight conventional wars, not counterinsurgency operations, who have failed in three other campaigns in the mountainous region since 2001. Five soldiers and 11 militants have been reported killed since the offensive began on Saturday. Reporters are blocked from visiting the region, but early accounts today suggested that the 30,000 troops were in for much tougher fight than in the Swat Valley, another north-eastern region that the army successfully wrestled away from insurgents earlier this year. Militants are offering very tough resistance to any movement of troops, Ehsan Mahsud told AP in the town of Mir Ali, close to the battle zone. He and a friend arrived there early this morning after travelling through the night. He said the army appeared to be mostly relying on air strikes and artillery against well-dug in militants who were occupying high ground. He said the insurgents were firing heavy machine guns at helicopter gunships, forcing the air force to use higher-flying jets. The army is up against about 10,000 local militants and about 1,500 foreign fighters, most of them from Central Asia. They control roughly 3,310 square kilometres of territory, or about half of South Waziristan, in areas loyal to former militant chief Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US missile strike in August. http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../710189988/1138 |
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| DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan Pakistani soldiers killed at least eight advancing Taliban fighters as they waged a major offensive against militants along the Afghan border Monday, intelligence officials said, while a top U.S. senator and general met with officials in the nuclear-armed nation. Both the Pakistani army and the Taliban have claimed early victories in the clashes in South Waziristan, a tribal region that al-Qaida and other Islamist extremists use as a base to plot attacks on the Pakistani state, Western troops in Afghanistan and civilian targets throughout the world. The U.S. has backed the military offensive in the remote, rugged area. The army said Sunday that 60 militants and six soldiers have been killed since the offensive began Saturday. Two intelligence officials said at least eight more militants died Monday in a fierce battle in the Khaisur area, where they were coming closer to troop positions. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge the information to media on the record. They did not speak of any military casualties. The Taliban claimed Sunday to have inflicted "heavy casualties" and pushed advancing soldiers back into their bases. It is nearly impossible to independently verify any of the claims because the army is blocking access to the battlefield and surrounding towns. The military offensive is focused on eliminating Pakistani Taliban militants linked to the Mehsud tribe, who control roughly 1,275 square miles (3,310 square kilometers) of territory, or about half of South Waziristan. Part of the strategy involves striking deals with other militant groups and tribes in the region. Some 10,000 Pakistani militants and about 1,500 foreign fighters are believed to operate in the region, though many are likely to avoid conventional battles in favor of guerrilla attacks. (...) U.S. Central Command chief David Petraeus, who oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was in Pakistan on Monday visiting top officials, while U.S. Sen. John Kerry also was meeting political and military leaders, the U.S. Embassy said. Kerry in particular was expected to try to ease tensions with Islamabad and the army over a multibillion dollar U.S. aid package for the country that some here says comes with unacceptable strings attached. ____ Associated Press Writers Rasool Dawar from Mir Ali, Zarar Khan in Islamabad and Hussain Afzal in Parachinar contributed to this report. |
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| Residents fleeing a 6-day-old Pakistani army offensive in a Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border reported Thursday that the insurgents are digging in for a fight and travel the roads freely. Tired and dusty refugees arriving in this northwestern town Thursday from different parts of South Waziristan reported intense army bombing by jets and helicopters but said they had seen no ground troops. The accounts by a dozen refugees to Associated Press reporters are a sign of just how much fighting remains before the military can even hope to clear the area, which in recent years has become a major global hub for al-Qaida and other extremist groups who carry out attacks against U.S. troops in Adghanistan. The militants were believed to control roughly 1,275 square miles of territory before the offensive began. That portion covers about half of South Waziristan, which itself is slightly larger than Delaware. The military say its troops are progressing steadily and retaking land on three fronts. But officers have made it clear that the campaign will be long and bloody and acknowledged resistance is tough. As the army presses into their heartland, the militants are trying to bring the war to the rest of Pakistan. Over the last 20 days, they have killed more than 170 people in a series of suicide bombings and raids on Western, civilian and security-force targets across the country. In the latest attack, suspected insurgents on a motorbike shot and killed a senior army officer and a soldier Thursday in a residential part of the capital, Islamabad. The slain officer, Ahmed Moinuddin, was on leave from his job as deputy commander of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Sudan. The attack came despite ramped-up security nationwide. It was believed to be the first targeted killing of an army officer in the capital, a sign of evolving militant strategies. The United Nations says 110,000 people have fled South Waziristan in recent months as speculation rose of an army offensive, about 30,000 of them in the last few days. Most are staying with relatives or in rented homes in Dera Ismail Khan and nearby districts. New arrivals said the Taliban were preparing for a fight. "We saw no ground forces on the way, nothing except helicopters and airplanes. But we saw a lot of Taliban movement," said Awal Jan, a refugee from the town of Sarwakai. "They were roaming around in their vehicles and digging trenches in the mountains." Pakistan is under intense pressure to eliminate Islamist militant groups sheltering in its northwest that also attack U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. The military has battled them in various districts, losing hundreds of soldiers, but questions remain about its overall strategic commitment to the fight. The army has previously moved into South Waziristan three times since 2004. Each time it has suffered high casualties and signed peace deals that left insurgents with effective control of the region. Western officials say al-Qaida now uses it and neighboring North Waziristan as an operations and training base. One refugee said Taliban fighters had told villagers they must join them or flee. "They said, 'If you want to side with us, you may. If you are scared of death, then leave immediately,'" said Habibullah, who gave only a single name. Maadi Shah, his wife and five children walked for a day to escape. "Earlier there was aerial bombing once a day, but now it is happening countless times," he said. "We saw the Taliban shifting to the mountains toward Makeen (the main town). They are well-entrenched there," said Shah, who stopped talking after a man warned him of possible Taliban retaliation for meeting reporters. The current offensive pits 28,000 troops against some 12,000 militants, 1,000 of them believed to be foreign fighters, mostly Chechens and Arabs. They are fighting in an unforgiving landscape of hulking mountains, rock-strewn valleys and sparse vegetation. A military statement Thursday reported two more soldiers were killed, bringing the army's death toll to 18, and that 24 more militants were slain, bringing their death toll to 129. Reporters are blocked from entering the region, meaning verifying information is all but impossible. Authorities say they are not expecting a major humanitarian crisis like the one triggered by an offensive in the northwestern Swat Valley earlier this year. Still, many refugees have complained of receiving little or no government assistance. In Paharpur town, some 30 miles outside Dera Ismail Khan, police clubbed refugees swarming an aid distribution center run by Pakistani authorities. The lines were long, and some refugees tried to climb a wall to get inside. Several people were injured, one with a bloodied head. "We came here for bread, but the police beat us up," said Rahmatullah Mehsud. "There, the Taliban were messing with things and the army was showering bombs. Here, we have to bear the clubs." Aid administrator Javed Shaikh said there was plenty of food, but that the refugees were "impatient." ___ AP reporter Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. |
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| ISLAMABAD A suicide bomber struck a checkpoint near a military complex reportedly linked to Pakistan's nuclear weapons program Friday, killing seven people as the army pressed ahead with a major anti-Taliban offensive in the northwest. The attack took place near the sprawling aeronautical complex in Kamra, around 30 miles (50 km) from the capital, Islamabad, and is sure to raise renewed concerns about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear program. The Kamra site is often mentioned by foreign military experts and researchers as a likely place to keep planes that can carry nuclear warheads. The army, which does not reveal where its nuclear weapons are stored, has denied that the facility is tied to the program. The attacker was apparently riding a bicycle and detonated his explosives at a checkpoint on a road leading to the complex, police officer Akbar Abbas said, blaming the Taliban. The seven dead included two security troops, while 13 people were wounded. "The attacker wanted to go inside. He exploded himself when officials wanted to search his body," Attock police chief Fakhar Sultan Raja told The Associated Press. The attack is the latest in a wave of violence sweeping Pakistan as its army pushes forth with its offensive against Islamist militants in the northwestern tribal region of South Waziristan. More than 170 people have died in bombings and raids on Western and security-related targets in the past three weeks. One of the attacks included a 22-hour standoff at the army's headquarters, an embarrassing breach of security that also raised worries about its ability to protect the country's nuclear weapons. The complex at Kamra or its workers have been targeted at least once before. In December 2007, a suicide car bomber struck near a bus carrying children of Pakistan Air Force employees, wounding five of them. Pakistan has long insisted its nuclear program is safe and secure, and has sought to protect it from from attack by militants by storing the warheads, detonators and missiles separately in facilities patrolled by elite troops. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently expressed confidence in Pakistan's nuclear safeguards, but analysts are divided on how secure the weapons are. Some say the weapons are less secure than they were five years ago. Security plans aside, much could depend on the Pakistani army and how vulnerable it is to infiltration by extremists, according to some observers. One possible scenario that could endanger the program would involve militant sympathizers getting work as scientists at the facilities and passing information to extremists. Pakistan is estimated to have between 70 and 90 warheads, according to Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists. Shaun Gregory, an expert on Pakistani security at the University of Bradford in Britain, said in a recent interview that militants have struck near an air base in Sargodha, where nuclear missiles are believed to be stored, and the Wah cantonment, where missiles that could carry nuclear weapons are believed to be assembled. He added that the attacks did not appear to have targeted nuclear weapons, but said there is evidence of threats to the program. Pakistan hopes that its week-old army offensive in South Waziristan will go a long way toward eliminating the militant menace on its soil, but residents fleeing the region reported this week that the insurgents are digging in for a fight. Tired and dusty refugees arriving Thursday in the northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan from different parts of South Waziristan reported intense army bombing by jets and helicopters but said they had seen no ground troops. (...) |
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| Pak-Taliban Leader's Hometown Captured October 24, 2009 Associated Press ISLAMABAD - Officials say Pakistan's army has captured the hometown of the country's Taliban chief in a major offensive. Elsewhere in the northwest, officials said a suspected U.S. missile strike has killed at least 14 people. Two army and one intelligence official said Saturday that the military has taken the town of Kotkai in South Waziristan after days of fighting. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media. Kotkai is strategically important because it lies on the way to the major militant base of Sararogha. It's also the hometown of Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud. Government official Mohammad Jamil said the missile strike hit the Bajur, a tribal region farther north. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistani leaders say the military offensive in a Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border is succeeding and have resolved to press ahead despite a ferocious wave of retaliatory attacks that have killed some 200 people this month. The government statement came as a spate of bombings in northwest Pakistan on Friday killed 24 people, including 17 headed to a wedding. The onslaught appears aimed at sapping public support for the army's offensive in South Waziristan, a lawless tribal region under the sway of the Taliban and al-Qaida. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani declared that "failure is not an option despite the ferocity of these attacks," according to the statement released late Friday after a meeting of top government and military officials. The army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, told participants that the offensive is moving ahead successfully and is trying to keep civilian casualties to a minimum, according to the statement. Some 155,000 civilians have fled the region, the United Nations says. Pakistan's civilian government and powerful military are under intense international pressure to root out Islamist militants who are also blamed for rising attacks on U.S. and NATO troops across the frontier in Afghanistan. The militants have promised to carry out strikes across the country if the offensive in South Waziristan doesn't stop, and the attacks have put many Pakistanis on edge. In a sign it is sensitive to popular support, the government statement appealed to the media "not to glorify the terrorists and acts of terrorism in any form and to avoid live coverage of such incidents as it created panic and despondency in the public." In one of Friday's attacks, a suicide bomber struck a checkpoint on a road leading to the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the capital, Islamabad. The complex is the country's major air force maintenance and research hub, servicing and building jet fighters and radar systems. The blast killed two security officers and five civilians who were on their way to work at the base, said police officer Akbar Abbas. Some 13 people were hurt. Hours later, an explosion struck a bus traveling in the Mohmand tribal region, north of South Waziristan. Four women and three children were among the 17 killed, said Zabit Khan, a local government official. He said it was unclear whether the bus struck a buried bomb or the explosive device was detonated by remote control. Also Friday, a car bomb exploded in the parking lot of a recreational facility housing a restaurant and a marriage hall in Peshawar, the main city in the northwest. Fifteen people were wounded. Pakistan reported fighting in several parts of South Waziristan on Friday and said its soldiers had seized some high ground from militant control. A statement reported two soldiers were killed, bringing the army's death toll to 20, and that 13 militants were killed - six of them Uzbeks - bringing their death toll to 142. Reporters are blocked from entering the region, meaning independently verifying the information is all but impossible. Around 100,000 more civilians are expected to join the 155,000 who have already fled the region, according to a U.N. statement Friday. Security concerns complicate delivering humanitarian aid to nearby regions, but the U.N. says it is managing the work through local partners. |
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| Reporting from Kanju, Pakistan - Members of the 40-day-old tribal militia in this Swat Valley village come in all shapes, from all walks of life. Some struggle to fasten bandoleers around pot bellies; some haven't finished high school. They are doctors and teachers, wealthy landowners and dirt-poor wheat farmers. Some make their way with Kalashnikov rifles slung over their shoulders, others with only a wooden stick in hand. What unites them is the memory of the Taliban's brutality, a time when the militant organization took over Kanju and the rest of the Swat Valley. Taliban militants beheaded perceived enemies, flogged women and bombed school buildings. With most of Swat back in the hands of the government after a military operation that drove the Taliban into hiding, thousands of Pakistanis in towns like Kanju have been banding together to form lashkars, or tribal militias, to help keep trouble from coming back. <more> http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...46.story?page=1 |
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| Security forces fighting their way through a mountainous Taliban stronghold killed at least seven militants Sunday and injured several more, officials said, while Pakistan's foreign minister said the offensive in tribal South Waziristan should finish sooner than originally expected. As part of the government's ramping up of its fight against the militants, it will offer bounties of up to 50,000,000 rupees ($600,000) for each of the top three Taliban leaders, according to an official advertisement to be published Monday in Pakistani newspapers and obtained by The Associated Press. But the recent successes of the campaign in South Waziristan and the optimism of Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi that it would soon achieve its objectives were offset by a string of anti-government attacks in other tribal regions, where militants kidnapped and killed a prominent pro-government activist and blew up a girls' school. (...) |