Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/rantburg/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !

Maulvi Sadiq Noor

Maulvi Sadiq Noor

Wazir Taliban

India-Pakistan

20060308

Link

India-Pakistan

Taliban factions regroup to fight US forces

2012-01-04

[Dawn] All jihadi groups, in consultation with Islamic Emirate Afghanistan (shadow Taliban government in Afghanistan), have decided to set up a committee to set aside differences in their ranks and step up support for war against western forces in Afghanistan. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Taliban Shura held at an unspecified place on Monday. A statement issued in the form of a pamphlet to the media in Wazoo after the meeting said: "All Mujahideen --local and foreigners --are informed that all jihadi forces, in consultation with Islamic Emirate Afghanistan, have unanimously decided to form a five-member commission. It will be known as Shura-i-Murakbah." The committee comprises Maulvi Azmatullah, Maulvi Noor Saeed, Maulvi Saeedullah, Maulvi Sadar Hayat and Hafeez Amir Hamza. According to sources, Azmatullah (Taliban capo in Barwan) represents the Waliur Rehman group, Noor Saeed (Taliban capo in Barwan) the Hakeemullah Mehsud group, Saeedullah (from Afghanistan) the Haqqani group, Sadar Hayat (from North Waziristan) the Maulvi Gul Bahadar group and Amir Hamza (from Ahmedzai Wazir tribe) the Mulla Nazir group in Wana subdivision of South Waziristan. Spokesman for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistain Ihsanullah Ihsan confirmed that the meeting had been held and the statement dated Dec 31 was issued after approval by Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... The sources said the committee had been formed to resolve differences among various cut-thoat factions, regroup them and investigate killings on spying charges and excesses, if any, committed by the Taliban against local people. "All Mujahideen, local and foreigners, are informed that they should desist from killing and kidnapping for ransom innocent people and cooperate with this committee in curbing crimes. If any Mujahid is found involved in unjustified killings, crimes and other illegal activities he will be answerable to Shura-i-Murakbah and will be punished in accordance with the Shariah law," the statement says. The sources said the high command of Pak and Afghan Taliban had been trying for two months to reach an agreement on uniting different factions. The first meeting in this regard was held on Nov 27 in Azam Warsak near Wana. It was attended by Waliur Rehman Mehsud, Hakeemullah Mehsud, Mulla Nazir, Abu Yehya Al Libi and Abdur Rehman Al Saudi of Al Qaeda and Sirajuddin Haqqani of the Haqqani network. The second meeting was held on Dec 11 in Dattakhel area ... which is owned and operated by Hafiz Gul Behadur... of North Waziristan. It was attended by Sabiullah Mujahid, Maulvi Sangeen and Maulvi Ashfaq from Afghanistan, Yehya Al Libi and Abdur Rehman Al Saudi of Al Qaeda, Hafiz Gul Bahadar and Maulvi Sadiq Noor from North Waziristan and Hakeemullah Mehsud, Waliur Rehman and Mulla Nazir from South Waziristan. Talking to Dawn on phone from an unspecified place, TTP front man Ihsanullah said the Mujahideen groups had reposed their confidence in the leadership of Mullah Muhammad Omar and recognised him as the leader of Afghanistan. He said the TTP would send its fighters to Afghanistan after March for waging jihad against "US-led infidel forces". The front man denied a media report that the Taliban would not attack Pak security forces. "It was a misleading and incorrect report." He said the meeting had decided that bully boyz would target the Americans and their allies in Pakistain as well as Afghanistan. Ihsanullah said the Taliban would also take Dire Revenge™ of what he called humiliation by security forces of tribal women, men and Mujahideen in the ongoing operation in Khyber agency. It may be recalled that a rift occurred among Taliban groups when Mulla Nazir expelled Uzbek and Masud bully boyz from Wana subdivision after striking a deal with the government during the operation Rahe Nijat. However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... Gul Bahadar and Maulvi Sadiq did not oppose the shifting of Mujahideen from South to North Waziristan. AP adds: "For God's sake, forget all your differences and give us fighters to boost the battle against America in Afghanistan," senior Al Qaeda commander Abu Yehya Al Libi told Pak fighters at the meeting, according to a cut-thoat who attended it. Yes, that will make everyone involved feel confident in the outcome.

Link

India-Pakistan

Pakistani Taliban Boasts Creating Problems for Local Militants

2010-05-16

The failed May 1 Times Square car bombing is rattling the Waziristan tribal badlands of Pakistan. Tribal chieftains and militant leaders are furious with Pakistani Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud and his deputy, master bomb maker Qari Hussain Mehsud, for making Internet videos boasting of responsibility for the attempt and promising more attacks soon. America's Predator drones have been working overtime ever since, killing and wounding dozens of suspected militants. But beyond that, Waziris fear action from Pakistan's military, which was already under extreme U.S. pressure to launch an offensive against militants in the region. Hoping to lower that risk, tribal and militant heads formed a jirga--a tribal delegation--of roughly a dozen representatives to speak to Hakimullah. According to a Pakistani tribal commander, the jirga met twice with Qari Hussain near the North Waziristan town of Mir Ali. Representatives from some of the region's most important insurgent groups, including the Afghan Taliban, were there: Afghan leader Sirajuddin Haqqani sent a delegate, the tribal commander says, and a South Waziristan subcommander, asking not to be named for safety's sake, confirms that his leader, Mullah Nazir, was represented as well. According to tribal journalist Sailab Mehsud, the jirga was led by Mir Ali-based insurgent heads Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Maulvi Sadiq Noor. All three Waziristan chiefs have ceasefire deals with Islamabad, even though they're at war against U.S. troops across the border in Afghanistan. The talks were preceded by a lavish tribal banquet, but they ended badly, says the anonymous commander, who asks not to be named for security reasons. "We are already at war," the tribal commander quotes him as telling the jirga, "and our leader has been killed"--a reference to Hakimullah's predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, who died in a drone attack last August. "Why should we be on the defensive against these infidels? They are firing at us, so we should be firing back at them everywhere." The jirga urged him to be more cautious, but it was no use. "If you put your hand in a snake's hole, you'll get bitten," a tribal elder said. "If they [the Americans] are snakes, then we are snakes too," Qari Hussain snarled back. Yes, but the Americans are snakes with Predators. That poison works a good deal faster than suicide and VBIED bombers. The talks broke up with no agreement. The tribal commander worries that the jirga only made Hakimullah and Qari Hussain angrier. And if Hakimullah gets his wish for an all-out war in Waziristan, the Afghan insurgency will suffer along with the Waziris. Qari's suicide bombers and demolitions experts will be tied down in the tribal area fighting the Pakistanis, and the flow of insurgents into Afghanistan is sure to be disrupted. That would mean real trouble for the Taliban as they face a flood of U.S. reinforcements.

Link

India-Pakistan

Taliban rule openly in Waziristan

2006-05-09

The BBC News website gets behind the scenes in an area where the Pakistani Taleban are digging in, despite the efforts of thousands of Pakistani troops. Taleban fighters battling Pakistani security forces declared a unilateral ceasefire last week to accommodate a religious gathering near Miranshah, the largest town in North Waziristan. The ceasefire began on 2 May to allow tens of thousands of devotees from all over the region to attend the annual ritual organised by the Pakistan-based Tablighi Jamaat. The ceasefire ends on 11 May. What happens after that is anyone's guess. I can guess. Can you guess? But a day-long trip to Miranshah enabled us to get a glimpse of how the protagonists, as well as ordinary locals, are using the 10-day respite to prepare for the days beyond the current ceasefire. Along the road from Bannu, the last town before North Waziristan, to Miranshah, Pakistani security forces could be seen fortifying their bunkers. Paramilitary troops that would ordinarily not step out of their bunkers for fear of attacks from Taleban fighters were filling fresh sandbags to shore up their defences. The Pak army can guess too. In Mirali, the first major town on the road inside North Waziristan, Taleban fighters can be seen patrolling the main bazaar. Thanks to the ceasefire, they can walk past military checkpoints without triggering a confrontation. The Taleban seem to be enjoying the ceasefire: the customary tension on their faces replaced with easy smiles. Color me delighted that the Talibs can strut around looking relaxed. Why don't the Paks unilaterally declare a unceasefire? I know, I know. The bazaars are full of bunnies and ducklings, maybe even a kitten or two. The venue of the religious gathering, a place called Tablighi Markaz (location of the nutbags) (preaching centre), is barely two kilometres past the main bazaar of Miranshah. `The last time outsiders had come into the area was a couple of weeks ago when the Pakistan army flew in a helicopter full of foreign journalists to demonstrate what it said was its control over the area. Area commander Maj Gen Akram Sahi had told the foreign journalists that he was "hurt" to read in the media that the government had no writ over much of North Waziristan. He said his men were "everywhere". "My men as far as the eye can see. If you squint a little. And get out a magnifying glass. And a kaleidoscope." It was difficult to spot Gen Sahi's men anywhere in or around the congregation near Miranshah but those who were "everywhere" were scores of Taleban fighters armed to their teeth. Nice going, General. Barely 200 metres from the venue of the gathering was a large blue tent where the main Taleban commanders were based. I was allowed inside the tent where Taleban leader Haji Omar was sitting with several area commanders. He was just settling down after bidding farewell to Maulvi Sadiq Noor, one of the most feared Taleban commanders in North Waziristan. Oh, he's so feared! Oh Ethel, the smelling salts! Taleban fighters guarding the tent seemed to be carrying more than their own weight in arms and ammunition. A young boy who barely looked 15 had eight ammunition magazines and four grenades dangling from his camouflage vest. Because of his relatively frail frame, the young man was probably carrying half the ammunition compared with his comrades. Most were carrying short range wireless sets with clip-on antennas. "No, no interviews and no photographs," another fighter told me sternly. "Not during the ceasefire." Sitting in the tent and surrounded by Taleban fighters, I couldn't help dreading a possible missile strike from a US predator. You had the same idea? Great minds think alike. But no such fears seemed to bother the Taleban. They were apparently too confident of their ideological affinity with the tens of thousands of devotees they were guarding. The Tablighi Jamaat has historically discouraged any kind of political symbols at its gatherings - but not now in North Waziristan. As the congregation concluded with a collective prayer for a Muslim renaissance, hundreds of devotees could be seen buying posters of Afghan commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Mr Hekmatyar has recently declared his intent to team up with al-Qaeda to fight the US forces in Afghanistan. Hand him a box of grenades and we can solve two problems. It was difficult to find a place anywhere in Miranshah where one would not come across some measure of resentment against Pakistan security forces. The main bazaar was bustling - the ceasefire means a temporary end to the long hours of curfew imposed by the security forces. But it was not just the debris left behind at various places in the bazaar by government bombing that spoke of local resentment against the Musharraf government. Locals were open and vocal with their views. "It is no fun living here any more," a shopkeeper said. "I have a cousin who lives in Detroit. He tells me Detroit is a paradise. Is there any chance you can help me get to Detroit?" "This bazaar would open with sunrise and shut at sunset. Now, people trudge in at around noon and leave after doing a few hours of business." But aren't the Taleban equally to be blamed for the war-like situation, I ask. "No. They are mujahideen waging a jihad against the Americans. They have no reason to disturb the peace in Waziristan if left to themselves," was the reply. Yup, the evil 'Merkins, we done it. There was not a single newspaper available anywhere in Miranshah. Angry at being portrayed as "terrorists and miscreants", the Taleban had recently set newspapers on fire in Mirali. After that, no transporter was willing to bring newspapers into the tribal territory. That would tend to put a damper on readership. Not only that, most local journalists have given up journalism after failing to convince their publishers based in Peshawar or Bannu not to call the Taleban terrorists or miscreants. Such banning of newspapers would have led to a fierce debate anywhere in the world. It is barely mentioned in Miranshah, where people just seem happy that they can roam around freely once more. It doesn't seem to matter that this freedom is only assured until 11 May when the ceasefire announced by the Taleban comes to an end. And, of course, as long as you do as the Taleban tells you to do.

Link

India-Pakistan

Troops Destroy Madrassa In North Waziristan

2006-03-15

Miran Shah, 15 March (AKI) - Pakistani security forces have blown up an Islamic seminary or madrassa in the tribal region of North Waziristan which lies on the Afghan-Pakistan border. The privately-run school, known as the Khalifa Islami Madrassa, is believed to be linked with the fugitive Taliban leader Jalaluddin Haqqani. No one was in the school building when it was destroyed, according to a report by the Associated Press agency which also said that the soldiers removed books from the school before blowing it up. The school was used mainly by Afghan students. The demolition of the madrassa is part of the continuing military operation by Pakistani security forces against pro-Taliban militants in the tribal belt. On Monday, Pakistan had ordered all Afghan nationals to return to their country. The demolition followed a bomb blast at an army security post near Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan. No causlaties were reported from that blast. Earlier this month, the Pakistan army said more than a 120 militants have been killed following three days of clashes which observors said were some the fiercest seen in the region. A separate madrassa in North Waziristan, Darul Uloom Faredia Gulshan-i-Ilum which is run by wanted cleric Maulana Abdul Khaliq was also destroyed on 7 March by the Pakistan army. No one was in that building when it was destroyed. Maulvi Abdul Khaliq together with another cleric Maulvi Sadiq Noor are believed to be leading the pro-Taliban militants in the area. Reports earlier said that the two have gone undergound. Six feet underground would be better

Link

India-Pakistan

26 killed in attack on Taliban hideout

2006-03-11

At least 26 people, including some foreigners, were killed late Friday in an assault by the Pakistani army on a tribal region near the Afghan border where it was believed terrorists were gathered, the military said Saturday. Pakistani helicopter gunships pounded the compound from air, and were followed by troops on the ground. The military acted after intelligence reports indicated terrorists were gathered at the compound in North Waziristan. The military said at least 26 people were killed, including some foreigners who have yet to be identified. However, local officials denied terrorists were at the compound. They said local villagers were at a house when the assault began. An intelligence official in the region told The Associated Press the targeted compound belonged to a pro-Taliban cleric, Maulvi Sadiq Noor, although it was not clear whether he was there at the time. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. My guess would be that the holy man wasn't home at the time. The official said security forces were looking for more foreigners believed to be hiding in North Waziristan, a semi-autonomous border region that includes Miran Shah. Noor and other pro-Taliban tribesmen have been targeted since earlier this week when their armed men captured government buildings following a military attack on an al Qaeda hideout near Miran Shah. AP reports.

Link

India-Pakistan

Surveillance Flights Begin In Waziristan

2006-03-10

Karachi, 10 March (AKI) - US surveillance aircraft have begun flights across the tribal belt of North Waziristan which lies on the Afghan-Pakistan border. Tribal sources told Adnkronos International (AKI) that the flights have been taking place over the last two days, coming soon after the meetings in Islamabad this week between the top US military comander, General John Abizaid, and Pakistani authorities. The aim of the meetings was to sort out a mechanism to combat cross-border infiltration by militants and at the same time ensure that neither Pakistan nor the allied troops will then face complaints of breaching borders. "The aircraft comes from the Afghan side, goes up to the Datakhail area [near the 'capital' Miran Shah] and around and then it goes back,” said a tribal source in a telephone interview with AKI on the condition of anonymity. Similar flights were observed before the the controversial US attack on the Bajaur Agency in January in which 13 civilians were killed in apparent missile strikes carried out by US-led forces. Currently there are 20,000 American troops in Afghanistan but Pakistan does not officially allow them to operate across the border. Pakistan for its part has deployed 80,000 troops in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. North Waziristan has been the scene of recent fierce clashes between the Pakistani troops and pro-Taliban tribal militants. Officials say that at least 140 people have been killed. According to sources, soon after the recent demolition of an Islamic seminary or madrassa run by wanted cleric Maulana Abdul Khaliq in North Waziristan earlier this week, the situation in the tribal area has deteriorated. Pakistani officials said that Khaliq had been using the religious school as a meeting place for militants in the area. Khaliq, together with another cleric, Maulvi Sadiq Noor, are believed to be leading the pro-Taliban militants in the area. "Islamabad has so mishandled the situation, that it is now beyond any control," tribal sources told AKI. "Now the governor of [Pakistan's] North West Frontier Province and even [Pakistani president] General Pervez Musharraf are meeting with tribal leaders to try and sort out the situation but ironically it is beyond the control of all of them," the source said. For the first time in the history of North Waziristan, the tribal leaders have become powerless in their own areas. After centuries of their control, teenagers and young men in 20s are now the ones who claim to be in power in North Waziristan. Most of them are not the students in any Islamic seminary yet they choose to refer to themselves as Taliban [which literally means 'student'] as a mark of kinship with the hardline Taliban movement in Afghanistan. These Pakistani Taliban, as they are generally referred to, are those who fought alongside the Taliban regime during the initial days of the movement and they took their ideological inspiration from them. When these Taliban returned to the tribal regions of North Waziristan from where they originally belong, they spread the Afghan Taliban ideology and currently these militants refer to themselves as Pakistani Taliban and they pledge their allegiance to Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban have in recent months established their power centres all over North and South Waziristan where they now resolve local disputes, provide a system of policing against bandits and robbers, resolve family feuds and provide counseling in family and religious matters. The new system has rooted out the old tribal jirga system (tribal councelling). In fact, the tribal jirga began to lose its significance when former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif introduced political reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and instead allowed the representation of tribal leaders in Pakistan's National Assembly and Senate through a system of votes. Previously, FATA had representation in the tribal region but only through the tribal jirga. The jirga used to comprise powerful Maliks or tribal chiefs who would then only elect a member among themselves. As a result, only tribal chiefs, usually the richest and most powerful were then made the members of the senate and national assembly. Once At one time, people such as Ayub Afridi, who was believed to be the biggest drug baron in the world, was elected on tribal seat in the national assembly of Pakistan. This method of choosing tribal representation eventually destroyed the system in which the strongest or richest leaders were always elected. During the 2002 elections, even less powerful and poorer clerics managed to secure a seat in the national assembly. For example, in North Waziristan, Pir Nek Zaman is member of the national assembly and he comes from a very modest background. He lives in a mud hut in Razmak, North Waziristan and does not even own a vehicle. However, the recent emergence of the Pakistani Taliban has turned the tables yet again. Over 100 tribal chiefs have been killed by the Pakistani Taliban on the suspicion of supporting the government of Pakistan and many of those still alive have fled from North Waziristan or have decided to live under the control of these young pro-Taliban militants. According to sources, the current situation in North Waziristan suggests that an all out war is looming in the valleys of this tribal belt, with the US-led allied forces stationed on Afghan side of the border and Pakistani troops stationed in Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan. I'll like to call this a hammer and anvil opportunity, but since the Paks seem to be using a Nerf mallet, I'll pass

Link

India-Pakistan

Shooting stops in Miranshah as jirga tries to reach peace deal

2006-03-08

MIRANSHAH: An uneasy calm prevailed in North Waziristan on Tuesday as government officials with the help of tribal elders tried to pacify pro-Taliban tribesmen after some 140 militants were estimated killed in recent days. I'll betcha a dose or two of napalm would pacify the crap out of them... However, a curfew imposed on Monday on Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, remained in force on Tuesday despite no reports of fresh fighting, a senior security official in the region told AP. He said the talks between tribal elders and militants’ representatives which began on Monday were continuing. “There is some progress and we hope things will be OK soon,” he said. Why? Have the bad guyz decided to go back to Arabia? Have the locals begun studying cause and effect? “The curfew is continuing today so the situation can return to normal quickly,” Zaheerul Islam, a top political official in Miranshah, told Reuters. “Forces are present in the town while jirgas and talks are also going on,” he said. Gonna try and save face all around, huh? Hope it works better than it did with Nek Mohammad. Islam planned to meet with tribal elders later on Tuesday to persuade shop owners in Miranshah to reopen their doors, said tribal elder Malik Mumtaz Khan, who will be attending the meeting. The government wants the businesses to be ready to trade when the curfew is lifted. The problem isn't the businesses being closed. The businesses are closed because of the problem. Meanwhile, troops searched for two clerics accused of instigating the fighting in Miranshah and made seven arrests in overnight raids. None of them the holy men, I'll betcha... “We are desperately searching for the two main culprits, Maulvi Abdul Khaleq and Maulvi Sadiq Noor, but we still do not have any information about their whereabouts,” a senior security official told AFP. Have you checked their houses? Have you checked Fazl's guest house? Security forces used explosives on Tuesday to demolish a madrassa in Miranshah run by Khaleq, another security official said. Officials said Noor and Khaleq have been trying to impose strict Islamic laws in Miranshah and are closely linked to the Taliban. Khaleq, who runs a major madrassa in Miranshah, had called for a “holy war” against the army after troops last week destroyed an Al Qaeda training centre in nearby Saidgai village, officials said. Jihad, of course, is the answer to every question... Khaleq’s brother was among some 40 militants killed in the raid on Wednesday, they added. I hope his departure from the gene pool was suitably painful. Noor also runs a preaching centre and a madrassa near Miranshah. A senior army official said if the two were “captured or killed” the resistance in Miransah will die down, the same way it subsided in neighbouring South Waziristan when top militant commander Nek Mohammad was killed in a missile strike in 2004. That was after about eight months of the jirga nonsense, complete with tribal lashkars led by drummers. Army spokesman Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan described Tuesday as “quiet”, with no reports of fighting. The militants had apparently withdrawn to the hills where a Miranshah resident, Shirin Khan, said security forces were directing their gunfire late on Monday night. "Chaudry! Shoot that mountain!" "Yes, sahib!" [KERBOOM!] "That should take care of them. What's for dinner?" The BBC said its correspondent had been detained for a few hours and then expelled from North Wazristan. Haroonur Rashid, the BBC’s Urdu correspondent based in Peshawar, and two other Pakistani journalists working for foreign media organisations were not allowed to enter the tribal region on Monday morning, the BBC Urdu website reported. “Haroon was not told why he was detained,” the BBC website said. He was later set free on the “intervention of high officials but was ordered to immediately leave the area”. "Beat it, Harun! And don't come back!" "But I live here!" Suspected militants beheaded a teacher in South Wazristan, officials said on Tuesday. Said Badshah, 35, who ran a private school, failed to return home late Monday in Barwan village, near Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, a local administration official told AFP. His headless body was found in a remote area on Tuesday evening, the official said. Officials suspect that militants were behind Badshah’s murder as he had no known enemies in the area and he was the son of a pro-government tribal elder. Well, never mind. He's dead now, so have another jirga and reach an "understanding" with the guys who killed him. No doubt they were motivated by piety or something.

Link

India-Pakistan

Manhunt launched for clerics behind Pakistan tribal clashes

2006-03-07

EFL: MIR ALI, Pakistan- Pakistani troops Tuesday searched for two pro-Taleban clerics accused of instigating the worst fighting near the Afghan border since the start of the ”war on terror”, officials said. The local administration has called tribal elders to hold talks on opening the main market and ending the violence, but one tribesman said few were willing to risk reprisals from the Taleban by acting as go-betweens with the government. “We cannot negotiate because we cannot speak on behalf of anyone,” said Malik Inamullah, one of the elders. “The government wants us to take responsibility that Taleban will not attack, how can we take this responsibility? So there is a deadlock.” “The fear of the Taleban is still strong among the tribal elders. They fear reprisals if they cooperate with the government,” Inamullah said. A provincial government official in the northwestern city of Peshawar, Sikander Qayyum, told the BBC that 140 militants have been killed in the three days of clashes that started Saturday during a visit to Islamabad by US President George W. Bush. Security forces said they arrested seven suspects in overnight raids in Miranshah. “We are desperately searching for the two main culprits, Maulvi Abdul Khaleq and Maulvi Sadiq Noor, but we still do not have any information about their whereabouts” a senior security official told AFP. Khaleq, who runs a major madrassa, or Islamic boarding school in Miranshah, had called for a “holy war” against the army after troops last week destroyedan Al Qaeda training center in nearby Saidgai village, officials said. Khaleq’s brother was among some 40 militants killed in the raid last Wednesday, they added. Troops were destroying living quarters at Khaleq’s seminary on Tuesday, residents said. Noor, who also runs a preaching center and a madrassa near Miranshah, joined forces with Khaleq and on Saturday hundreds of armed Islamic students occupied the main buildings in Miranshah and attacked military posts from several directions, the officials said. Officials said Noor and Khaleq have been trying to impose strict Islamic laws in Miranshah and are closely linked to the Taleban, the fundamentalist regime ousted from Afghanistan in a US-led invasion in late 2001. Government forces late last year raided cleric Noor’s seminary following intelligence that he was providing shelter to Al Qaeda and Taleban fugitives. However there were no arrests. Arrests would be good. Killing would be better

Link

Afghanistan/South Asia

Madrassa, 2 houses raided

2005-08-28

The political administration of North Waziristan on Saturday raided a madrassa and two houses on intelligence that foreign terrorists were hiding there, BBC radio reported. A search operation was launched by the administration in Humzon village, in which two houses belonging to Maulvi Sadiq Noor and Maulvi Sadiq Khan along with a madrassa were raided. The administration was assisted by 200 members of the Khasadar force in the operation, which lasted two hours. However, it was not clear if any arrests had been made during the operation, BBC radio reported. The tribal elders of the area were also present during the operation, the report said.

Link

Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/rantburg/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-9 More