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| 42 more militants killed in SWA |
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Troops facing stiff resistance to capture Srarogha
By Irfan Burki & Daud Khattak
WANA/PESHAWAR: Security forces on Tuesday claimed of killing 42 more militants, raising the toll to 240 since the launch of the operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan Agency on October 17.
The troops admitted losing one soldier and injuries to another two as they advanced on the militants’ strongholds of Srarogha, Makeen and Ladha from three directions, using Wana, Jandola and Razmak as their rear bases.
Tribal sources said the troops were facing stiff resistance during their advance towards Srarogha, the stronghold of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud, after an unexpectedly easy capture of Kotkai, Sherwangai, Chalweshtai and other small villages and mountain ridges from the Taliban.
Both the Taliban and security forces are making conflicting claims regarding their gains and casualties. Due to inaccessibility of the area, the media is depending mostly on the figures released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The political administration officials said fighter planes bombed Ladha, Shpeshtin, Gadawai, Kacha Langarkhel, Mashta, Sam and Selai Rogha. The villages of Badar, Nano, Kotkhel, Jalandhar and Karama were pounded with heavy artillery guns from the Wana side while the villages of Aimarkhel and Bandkhel were targeted from Razmak.
Sources said five hideouts of militants were destroyed in bombing by the planes while a huge cache of weapons was seized in the Badar area. The sources said nearly three-dozen militants had been killed in bombing on different areas. The sources said the troops were facing resistance from the militants in Ghorlama village.
According to the ISPR, security forces cleared the village of Zeriwam on the Jandola-Srarogha axis. One soldier and five militants were killed in clashes in and around Zeriwam and Garlai areas, it added.
Advancing from Chalweshtai on Shakai-Kaniguram axis, security forces reached the suburbs of Kund Mela and Momi Karam areas and started removing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from roads. Seven militants were reportedly killed during an engagement with troops in the same area.
Security forces said that they had regained the control of the old Frontier Corps (FC) post in Nawazkot and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the area located on the Razmak-Makeen axis.
The ISPR statement said the troops clashed with militants in Tawda Cheena, Vedan, Manza Sar, Zare Sar and Makeen, killing 30 of them. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the same area, it added. Two soldiers were injured as militants fired two rockets at the Razmak camp.
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ figures revealed that 205,000 people had been displaced from South Waziristan due to the military operation. The latest figures released on Tuesday suggested that some 50,000 to 80,000 people were still in the area affected by the fighting. Mentioning security concern as a problem, the statement said there was a little room for aid workers to manoeuvre in the highly-volatile areas. A similar complaint was made by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The UN said it was expecting more people to be displaced because of the ongoing fighting.
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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 
