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| Foreign militants on the run in South Waziristan |
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Monday, November 02, 2009
Nine more militants, two soldiers killed in operation
By Irfan Burki & Daud Khattak
WANA/PESHAWAR: Nine militants and two soldiers were killed in the ongoing offensive in South Waziristan Agency on Sunday, raising the militants’ death toll to over 300 in the past 16 days.
The figures revealed by the Pakistan Army shows 38 losses on its side, including two officers, since the launch of the operation Rah-e-Nijat on October 17. The Army on Sunday also claimed seizing huge cache of arms, including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), heavy machine guns, anti-tank mines, a missile launcher and some jamming equipment to intercept the communication lines.
After seizing Kaniguram, military officials said a clearance operation was underway and 50 percent of the town had been cleared. Having a population of 30,000 with majority from the Burki tribe, the people are mostly pro-government in Kaniguram and education ratio among them is almost 95 percent.
The sources said the villages of Asman Manza and Karwan Manza were the next important points to be captured by security forces in their advance on the Shakai-Kaniguram axis. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), small arms and rocket fire from militants at a security check-post injured one soldier. The troops killed four militants near the Asman Manza area, it added. One militant was arrested by the troops along with a machinegun.
In Karama area, security forces discovered and destroyed two caches of mines, explosives, ammunition with a medical operation theatre and one ammunition and explosive-laden vehicle. Five militants and two soldiers were killed during a clash in Patkot area while another militant was apprehended from the Karwan Narai area.
The troops continued the siege of Srarogha town on the Jandola-Srarogha axis. Security forces said the town was surrounded from three directions and the village of Zariwam had been secured in the same area.
In their advance from Razmak, the troops have surrounded Makeen, considered as the nerve centre of militants, from three sides. During search operation on all the three sides, security forces claimed to have destroyed militants’ hideouts in the area.
Tribal sources said that around 16 kilometres area had so far been captured and cleared by security forces in their advance from Jandola towards Srarogha, one of the three strongholds of the Taliban. The other two are stated to be Makeen and Ladha.
Jet fighters also bombed militants’ hideouts in Ladha, Saam, Gadawai, Maidan and Makeen, killing five militants and injuring several others, the sources said. Four hideouts of Taliban had been destroyed in artillery and jet shelling in those areas, according to intelligence reports.
The villages captured by security forces in their three-pronged advance on the Taliban strongholds since October 17 include Sherwangai, Chalweshtai, Momi Karam, Salay Rogha, Nawazkot, Speen Kamar, Wedan, Tauda Cheena and Kaniguram. The areas of Srarogha, Karwan Manza and Asman Manza are expected to be captured by the troops in the coming few days.
As the operation continues in Waziristan, militants have once again increased their attacks on civilians, security forces and government installations in other tribal agencies.
AFP adds: The military claimed that hundreds of foreign fighters in South Waziristan were on the run. Between 600 and 800 foreign militants had been in and around Kaniguram but their resistance was broken by heavy bombing from jet fighters, helicopters and artillery, Brigadier Muhammad Ihsan told reporters on a visit to the normally closed conflict area.
“They are on the run,” Ihsan said, referring to the foreign fighters. The foreigners were mostly Uzbeks but also Chechens and Arabs, he added.They may have made a strategic withdrawal but the military is prepared for any guerrilla attacks the militants may mount, Brig Ihsan said. “The direct operation will take one to two months,” he said.
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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 
