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| Taliban ‘upset’ at missile hit |
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Monday, October 06, 2008
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Taliban are unusually angry about the latest suspected US missile strike in Pakistan, indicating that a top militant may have died, officials and residents said on Sunday as the death toll from the attack rose to 24.
Several Arab militants were said to be among the dead in Friday's strike in North Waziristan. Two Pakistani intelligence officials said that over the weekend two people wounded in the attack died at a hospital in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to news media, said the overall death toll was now 24.
Based on information from informants and agents in the field, the intelligence officials said the Taliban appeared unusually perturbed over the latest attack. Their anger was a signal that a senior militant may have been killed, but that has yet to be confirmed, they said.
The insurgents were moving aggressively in the area while using harsh language against local residents, including calling them saleable commodities -- a reference to people serving as government spies, the officials said.
Two area residents said Taliban fighters had warned people not to discuss the missile strike or inspect the rubble at the site. The residents asked not to be named for fear of Taliban retaliation.
Taliban spokesmen could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday. Earlier, Pakistan Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said initial reports indicated at least 20 people were killed. He said there was "speculation'' that many were foreign militants, but cautioned that the Army was still awaiting a detailed report. The US rarely acknowledges such attacks. 1st Lt. Nathan Perry, a spokesman for the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, said he had "no information to give'' about the reported attacks. He did not deny US involvement.
Meanwhile, a three-day ultimatum from the government for Afghans living illegally in Bajaur to leave was due to expire later Sunday. Of an estimated 80,000 Afghans, only about 15,000 had left, said Abdul Haseeb, a local government official. He said the exodus appeared to be continuing, and that "the administration may be lenient and give them another couple ofdays.'' "They are leaving with all their belongings and cattle and hopefully most of them will leave in another two days, but if they don't there would be a massive crackdown,'' Haseeb said.It was unclear, however, whether the Afghans were all heading back across the porous, disputed border to Afghanistan or simply going to other parts of Pakistan.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
