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| 52 militants killed as ’copters pound hideouts in Khyber |
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Saturday, February 07, 2009
By Nasrullah Afridi & Ashrafuddin
BARA/LANDIKOTAL: Retaliating to a suicide attack in Jamrud targeting an Afghanistan-bound convoy taking supplies for the Nato forces, security forces used gunship helicopters to pound militants’ hideouts in Khyber and Orakzai agencies on Friday, killing 52 people.
Khyber Agency’s Political Agent Tariq Hayat Khan claimed that 52 militants were killed in bombing on Chapri Ferozkhel in Khyber and Serai border areas in the adjoining Orakzai Agency. However, no evidence was provided about the deaths of such a large number of militants.
On their part, the Taliban militants refuted the claim and conceded the death of only one of their men, Shakir, belonging to the Shalobar Afridi sub-tribe. Taliban commander Nazeer Afridi also denied the government claim. He told The News that the figure of the militants’ death was exaggerated.
However, Tariq Hayat insisted that besides killing 52 militants, a huge ammunition cache and about eight vehicles were also destroyed during the air attack by the Army helicopters. He said the vehicle used in the Jamrud Tedi Bazaar suicide attack was prepared by the militants in Sapari area and the authorities had the information that besides an important commander, a number of militants were hiding there.
Another security official also said that the Frontier Corps troops targeted five hideouts of the militants in Chapri Ferozekhel area of the Khyber Agency, killing 52 of them besides destroying their vehicles. The casualty figure, however, could not be verified from independent sources.
There were reports that an activist of the Bara-based militant organisation, Lashkar-e-Islam, was killed and its two hideouts were destroyed in the gunship helicopter strikes. The LI volunteers were coming from Tirah Valley when they were targeted by the gunship helicopters, killing one of them, Shakir, of Shalobar, and damaging their two vehicles in the Mumanray area.
Earlier, a suicide bomber blew up his explosives-packed Toyota Surf near a checkpoint in Tedi Bazaar of the Khyber Agency, injuring six people, including two students and a member of the security forces.
The suicide attacker blew up his vehicle near a checkpoint of the Khassadar force on the Pak-Afghan Highway through which supplies for the Nato forces in Afghanistan pass.The suicide bomber exploded his Toyota Surf when he was signalled by security forces personnel to stop. The explosion was so intense that doors and windowpanes of the nearby shops and houses were smashed by its impact while a scared driver coming from the opposite side lost control of his trailer that plunged into a seasonal stream along the road.
Limbs of the suicide bomber were found scattered in an area of 200 metres. The injured, all residents of Jamrud, were identified as Ghulam Hayat, Taj Muhammad, Shakeel, Ahmed Raghib, Fahim Ullah and Zohaib.
They were rushed to the Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, where their condition was stated to be stable. Assistant Political Agent, Jamrud, Fida Muhammad Bangash, told newsmen that there were reports that a suicide bomber was assigned to target the members of the Army Engineers Corps working on the bridge blown up by the local Taliban a couple of days ago in the Ali Masjid area.
The APA said parts of the body of the suicide bomber had been sent for the DNA test and investigations into the incident were underway. A convoy carrying supplies for the Nato and the US forces in Afghanistan and passenger coaches remained stuck for hours on the road due to the suicide attack and hundreds of passengers, including women and children, suffered.
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Three killed as Sh Rashid escapes attempt on life
By Shakeel Anjum
RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief and a candidate for NA-55 (Rawalpindi) by-election Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was wounded, while three people — a guard and two party workers — were killed when four gunmen more |
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12 soldiers killed in South Waziristan
ISLAMABAD: Twelve soldiers embraced martyrdom while two others were injured in a clash with militants during the ongoing operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan Agency (SWA), the ISPR said on Monday.
S more |
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Plan to attack five-star hotel foiled
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The CIA police here on Monday claimed to have foiled an attack on Americans staying at a five-star hotel and arrested six terrorists, including a suicide bomber.
Addressing a press conference, SS more |
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Govt taking court for a ride
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: She fought her case in the media. She won her battle in the judicial forum too. But still the government is bent on making an example out of her for refusing to follow the illegal dictates of her min more |
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Pakistan against arms race: Gilani
By Azeem Samar
KARACHI: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said Pakistan does not want to be engaged in an arms race with any country.
Speaking as chief guest at the induction ceremony of second Chinese-m more |
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Punjab-Sindh water row Centre’s intervention sought
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Tension between Punjab and Sindh over opening of the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Punjnad link canals has touched a new high as the former has sought the Centre’s intervention.
The Punjab has sai more |
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French, Dutch fight over giving LNG to Pakistan
By Khalid Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and his team is all set to thwart the attempt of an unscrupulous combine of oil industry heavyweights and some functionaries of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Re more |
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Nine killed as no let-up in rains
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: Nine people were killed and scores of others injured as heavy rains and snowfall lashed various parts of the country for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.
Reports from the Shangla district more |
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Malik orders NUML closure as protest enters 5ht day
ISLAMABAD: The protest of the students of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) against thrashing of Professor Malik Tahir by Registrar Brigadier (R) Obaidullah Ranjha entered its fifth consecutive more |
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Malik insists no Blackwater in Pakistan
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik while responding to an accusation from a PML-N parliamentarian told the National Assembly that Blackwater was not providing security to the president and the prime mini more |
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FBR gets list of properties rented out to foreigners
By Hanif Khalid
ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has received list of properties from Foreign Office, which were in use of foreigners in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore, but these were not shown in annual tax more |
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Repealing of 17th Amendment
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has begun efforts to create consensus on repealing the 17th Amendment before presidential address to the joint sitting of the parliament.
The prime minis more |
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Three suspects held in Mohmand
By our correspondent
GHALLANAI: The security forces arrested three suspected persons during search operation in Safi subdivision of Mohmand Agency, official sources said Monday. The sources said the security forces carried out sear more |
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No presence of Blackwater, DynCorp in Pakistan, NA body told
ISLAMABAD: Secretary Interior Qamar Zaman again negated on Monday the presence of Blackwater, DynCorp or any other foreign security agency in the country. “Neither the Blackwater and the DynCorp nor any other s more |
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Govt urged to take up water issue with India
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat while urging the government to take up the issue of ‘water terrorism’ with New Delhi, has question more |
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Avalanche kills 17 Indian soldiers in held Kashmir
HELD SRINAGAR: Seventeen Indian soldiers were killed on Monday in an avalanche that slammed into a group of 70 combat troops at a high-altitude warfare training camp in Kashmir, the army said on Monday.
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Taliban defiant as Afghans flee ahead of assault
KANDAHAR: The Nato commanders urged the Taliban to surrender as troops dug in on Monday for a major assault on their key stronghold in southern Afghanistan, sending thousands of residents fleeing.
The Ta more |
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Plea to freeze foreign accounts
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the federal government to submit a reply within four weeks on a petition seeking freezing of accounts in foreign banks and recovery of illegal assets accumu more |
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Attack on Sh Rashid
RAWALPINDI: The PML-N candidate for by-polls from NA-55, Malik Shakil Awan, has announced suspension of electioneering for a day to mourn the death of those killed in the attack on the office of his rival, Shei more |
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Indian forces to halt Kashmir rally outside UN office
HELD SRINAGAR: The held Kashmir authorities deployed thousands of police and troops on Monday to prevent a protest outside the UN office here over the recent killing of two teenage boys by Indian security force more |
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briefs...
20 die in Afghan floods, avalanches
KANDAHAR: Twenty people have died in floods and avalanches triggered by some of the heaviest rain and snow in Afghanistan for 50 years, an official said on Monday. At more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
