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India-Pakistan

Three armymen, 34 militants die in NWA

2014-11-18

[DAWN] A major, two other army personnel and 34 suspected gunnies were killed in a fierce shootout and air strikes in Dattakhel area ... which is owned and operated by Hafiz Gul Behadur... of North Wazoo tribal region on Sunday. According to Inter-Services Public Relations, the army personnel and seven gunnies were killed during a search operation and four soldiers were maimed in a clash. Maj Wasif, Subedar Jahangir Sadique and Sepoy Nazir bit the dust in the gunbattle. The incident took place a day after Maj Gen Zafarullah Khan, the officer in charge of North Waziristan, claimed that the ongoing Zarb-e-Azb ..the Pak offensive against Qaeda in Pakistain and the Pak Taliban in North Wazoo. The name refers to the sword of the Prophet (PTUI!)... military operation had reduced the Death Eaters' ability to carry out attacks. Another 27 suspected gunnies were killed when military planes and helicopter gunships attacked their hideouts and compounds. A blurb issued by ISPR said two local Death Eater leaders and foreigners were among the dead. The air strikes followed a Death Eater attack on security personnel at Spera Ghar at about 4am. The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban's Gul Bahadar group grabbed credit for the attack carried out in an area about 45km from the agency headquarters, Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... Talking to news hounds by phone, the group's front man Ahmadullah Ahmadi claimed that 16 soldiers had been killed and six military bunkers taken over by Death Eaters. "We will respond to the military operation through 'Zarb-e-Moneen'," he said. According to Rooters, military sources said eight soldiers were missing after gunnies attacked a checkpost with rockets and grenades. A curfew was imposed in Dattakhel and soldiers were combing the area around the Spera Ghar checkpoint for their missing colleagues, they said. The area is closed to journalists unless they travel with the military and most of the civilian residents -- around a million people -- were ordered to leave their homes till the offensive continued.

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Afghanistan

Afghan villagers hang Taleban militants

2014-09-29

[ARABNEWS] GHAZNI : Afghan villagers hanged four captured Talibs from a tree on Saturday as security forces battled the turbans for a sixth day in a district of Ghazni province, an official said. The hangings were carried out after Taliban fighters had killed more than 100 people in the area in the past week, including more than a dozen who had their heads chopped off, according to Ghazni deputy governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi. The battle in the Ajrestan district of Ghazni, southwest of the capital Kabul, is part of an escalation of Taliban attacks around the country as the forces of Evil take advantage of dwindling US air support as foreign forces leave. The assault by an estimated 700 Taliban fighters began about six days ago but Afghan army commando reinforcements and the threat of NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization.... Arclight airstrikes have so far prevented the district from falling under Taliban control, said Ahmadi. Heavy fighting ... as opposed to the more usual name-calling or slapsy... continued on Saturday in Ajrestan, in the far west of the province. The four captured forces of Evil were handed over to residents in Arzakai village, according to Ahmadi, who also uses the name Ahmadullah Ahmadi. It was unclear who handed the men over to the villagers, or why. "We come fer yer prisoners, sheriff!" "Hokay." "Hey! Wait a minute...!" "Yew boyz bring enough rope with ya?" "This ain't right!" "If'n we run short kin we borry some o' yorn?" "No! Don't open the cell!" "It's on the peg over thar! Go to it!" "Sheriff...!" "I'm gonna get me a good night's sleep. Be nice and quiet in here fer a change!" "Youse can't do dis to us!" "Allahu akbar to you, too, bub!" Army commandos supported by aircraft from the US-led military coalition arrived on Friday to help local army and police, Ahmadi said. "Coalition jets were in the air, but they did not bombard the area because of fears of civilian casualties," he said. Foreign forces' air support will end entirely after international combat troops leave Afghanistan at the end of the year. The Taliban turbans have recently also been emboldened by months of political turmoil after a disputed presidential election, which demoralized security forces. The election crisis ended with a power-sharing deal that will see winner Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. .. sworn in as president Monday. The United States expects President Ghani to sign a bilateral security agreement promptly after his inauguration, White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said.

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Afghanistan

Over 100 people killed as Taleban storm Afghan district

2014-09-27

[ARABNEWS] GHAZNI, Afghanistan: Hundreds of Taliban fighters have stormed a strategic district in an Afghan province not far from the capital, killing dozens of people in five days of fighting and the holy warriors could capture the area, officials said on Friday. The Ghazni provincial government has lost contact with police in the province's western district of Ajrestan, said Asadullah Safi, deputy police chief of the area. Ghazni, is southwest of the capital, Kabul, and a key link to the south and southeast, where the Taliban have been making advances in recent months. "If there is no urgent help from the central government, the district will collapse," Safi said. The battle for Ajrestan illustrates the grave challenges facing Afghanistan's new president and the security forces in holding territory as foreign combat troops prepare to leave at the end of the year. Control of Ajrestan, about 200 km (125 miles) from Kabul, would provide the Taliban with a launching point for attacks into adjacent Uruzgan and Daikundi provinces. Heavy fighting ... as opposed to the more usual name-calling or slapsy... was going on in Ajrestan on Friday. Safi said a suicide boom-mobileer attacked a police checkpoint early in the day before provincial authorities completely lost contact with the district. The attack by an estimated 700 Taliban fighters began about five days ago and early reports were that more than 100 people had been killed, including 15 who had their heads chopped off by the bully boys, said provincial deputy governor Ahmadullah Ahmadi. Provincial authorities have appealed for help from the central government in Kabul, where President-elect Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. .. is in the process of taking over from Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... "We have asked repeatedly for helicopters to evacuate the maimed, but so far nothing has been done," Ahmadi said. However, some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go... a regional front man for the Afghan army, Nazif Sultani, said on Friday reinforcements had been sent to the district the previous day. He said he had no further information.

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India-Pakistan

N. Waziristan Taliban revoke peace accord; tell locals to leave

2014-05-31

[DAWN] The North Wazoo Taliban led by Hafiz Gul Bahadar have formally revoked the peace accord with the Pak government, a pamphlet distributed by the group in the tribal region said. The hudna is over, it seems. The faction, as the pamphlet sent to media by Bahadur's front man Ahmadullah Ahmadi said, is now preparing to fight against what it said was the security forces' planned operation, giving locals until June 10 to leave the area and move to safety. The pamphlet distributed Friday read that the government had broken the peace accord with the North Waziristan Taliban by launching air strikes with a full-fledged operation being planned for the tribal region. "The shura mujahideen has decided not to tolerate this aggression anymore and has opted to fight and defend Waziristan," the pamphlet added. The group also warned locals to refrain from seeking refuge in government-established camps. Instead, it directed them to move to areas close to the Afghan border whereby they could easily travel to Afghanistan. The group has also demanded locals to sever all ties with the government and military officials by June 10. It has warned that action would be taken against those who do not heed the bully boys' warnings, adding that no one would be allowed to go to the military camps and government offices after the deadline. The group also announced to stop all its operations in Afghanistan after June 10, adding that it would not send any fighters across the border and would focus on defending North Waziristan, calling upon the rustics to either leave the area or join hands with the bully boys.

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India-Pakistan

Hafiz Gul Bahadur group reviews peace treaty with govt

2014-05-22

[DAWN] Following massive Arclight airstrikes by Pak jet fighters in North Wazoo last night, Talibs met at some holy man's guesthouse an undisclosed location on Wednesday to reconsider a non-aggression treaty with the government. A front man for Taliban capo Hafiz Gul Bahadur ...a member of the Madda Khel clan of the Uthmanzai Waziris. Educated in a Deobandi madrassa located in Multan, he is affiliated with the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) political party. Upon the formation of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in December 2007, he was announced as the group's overall naib amir under Baitullah Mehsud, who was based in South Wazoo, but has largely distanced himself from the TTP due to rivalries with the Mehsuds and disagreements about the TTP's attacks against the Pak state.. , who leads hundreds of fighters in the area, condemned the Arclight airstrikes that, according to Pak military officials, killed at least 60 bully boyz and injured 30 others last night. Ahmadullah Ahmadi said the group "cannot remain silent over bombardment on people," calling it a clear atrocity on the civilians. He said that the Shura (council) has convened this important meeting to assess the situation and hinted that the peace accord with the government might get revoked. The front man warned that the government would be responsible for any destruction in case it did not stop the military offensive. Pak warplanes and helicopters pounded krazed killer hideouts in Mir Ali and Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... near the Afghan border, killing 60 fighters. The Pakistain Army in a statement said "60 hard-core terrorists" including "important commanders and foreigners" were killed in the strikes, without providing further details, and that another 30 were maimed. Intelligence reports and other investigations confirmed the linkage of some recent terrorist acts across the country with bully boyz targeted in the strikes, said the ISPR statement. One resident, who identified himself as Saeedullah Khan, said the army had also been firing artillery rounds since early morning. Another resident, Inamullah, said the Arclight airstrikes destroyed several homes and nearby shops in Mir Ali's bazaar, causing civilian casualties. The claims by the army and residents could not be independently verified. The lawless tribal area is off-limits to journalists.

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India-Pakistan

Militants kidnap 10 FC men in NWA

2009-07-31

[The News (Pak) Top Stories] Dozens of Taliban militants attacked the British-era Girdi Rogha Fort on the Esha-Razmak Road in North Waziristan Agency on Tuesday night and kidnapped 10 soldiers. Officials said the Taliban militants affiliated with commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, after hours of fighting, kidnapped 10 personnel of the Shawal Rifles, a wing of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC). Ahmadullah Ahmadi, a spokesman for North Waziristan Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, however claimed that their fighters had kidnapped 20 soldiers.The Pakistan Army spokesman and ISPR Director General Maj Gen Athar Abbas denied the reports. "That is not correct. Had anything happened, I would have the knowledge," he added.Official sources told The News that dozens of Taliban militants attacked the historic fort with heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 assault rifles. The FC troops retaliated and heavy exchange of fire continued for a few hours.Three soldiers were reportedly injured in the fighting. There were no details about the losses suffered by the militants. An official based in Mirali told The News on condition of anonymity that the militants attacked a post which was established for the protection of the fort. He said the militants had taken away 10 soldiers of the Shawal Rifles and the authorities were clueless about their whereabouts. Tribal sources said security forces Wednesday morning started heavy artillery shelling from Dosali and Razmak military camps on militants' locations. Meanwhile, an FC soldier and two Taliban militants were killed, while two FC men and seven militants sustained injuries in gunfire on the Miramshah-Dattakhel Road in North Waziristan Agency on Thursday.

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan: Taliban scrap North Waziristan peace deal

2009-07-01

[ADN Kronos] Taliban militants in Pakistan's lawless North Waziristan tribal area have scrapped a peace deal they had signed with the government 16 months ago. The move followed clashes there between security forces and militants on Monday. Security officials said that 27 soldiers had lost their lives on Sunday in an attack on a military convoy in Wacha Bibi near Datakhel, about 35 kilometres west of Miramshah. Militants claimed to have killed 60 personnel in the attack carried out in the Miran Shah area. Local people said the place where the convoy had been attacked was littered with wrecked army vehicles. Army personnel retrieved the wounded and the bodies of their fighters and shifted them to Islamabad. On Monday, helicopters pounded suspected militant positions in Wacha Bibi, a narrow pass in the mountainous region. According to officials, five civilians were killed in the shelling. The announcement about the scrapping of the nine-point peace agreement signed by the government with elders of the Utmanzai tribe on 17 February last year was made by local Taliban. Ahmadullah Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Taliban, told journalists by phone that the Taliban had decided to continue guerrilla activities until the drone attacks were stopped and the government withdrew troops from North Waziristan. 'We will attack forces everywhere in Waziristan unless the government fulfils these two demands,' he said, adding that the government had allowed the United States to carry out drone attacks in the tribal region. The government claims that the peace accord was signed with tribal elders and not with the Taliban led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Maulvi Saddiq Noor. Under the agreement, militants had agreed to stop target killings and attacks on security forces. No one would be allowed to set up a parallel administration in the area. Elders of the Utmanzai tribe had also assured the government that there would be no cross-border movement of militants and foreigners would be expelled from the area. Sources said the elders had failed to curb militants' activities in the region and the agreement had become dysfunctional. Irfan Mughal in Dera Ismail Khan adds: Two militant commanders were killed and five captured during an operation in Tank district on Monday. Officials said that security forces had cordoned off Garra Badha and Sabirabad areas after receiving information that some militant commanders were hiding there. Troops raided houses in Mohallah Khurdianwala and arrested seven militants, including Ikramullah, younger brother of militant commander Hayatullah Shah Bukhari, and local commander Rasheed Khan. However, Ikramullah and Rasheed Khan were killed when the militants resisted security personnel who were taking them away. The militants who died were reported to be affiliated with the Baitullah Mehsud group. The bullet-riddled body of militant Subhan was found on the Tank-Jandola road.

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India-Pakistan

Taliban warns of reprisals as Pakistan protests US drone attacks

2008-11-20

A militant Taliban group warned Thursday of reprisals in Pakistan if there was another US drone attack, as the government condemned the latest missile strike in its territory. Top Pakistani Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur warned he would mount revenge attacks if the US carried out further strikes in tribal territory after missiles fired from a drone Wednesday killed six people, including a major Al-Qaeda operative. Bahadur's group has been accused by the United States of launching attacks across the border in Afghanistan, but it abstains from violence in Pakistani territory under an understanding with military authorities. "We will start revenge attacks across other districts if the US drone attacks do not stop after November 20," Taliban spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmadi said in a statement. ... Dumbass threatens to pee on another section of the living room carpet.

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India-Pakistan

Taliban ban foreign media in N Waziristan

2008-08-27

The Taliban, on Tuesday, banned journalists working with foreign newspapers and news agencies from entering the militancy-infested North Waziristan Agnecy. Journalists working with national and international news organisations had planned to visit the agency for stories before the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Ahmadullah Ahmadi, spokesman for Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur, said in a statement that entry of all the journalists belonging to Western electronic and print media had been banned. "Such people are harmful for Islam, Muslims and the country," he said. "At the same time, the Taliban highly regard those journalists who are patriotic and loyal to Islam and Muslims," Ahmadi added. Punishment: He said journalists would be given exemplary punishments if it were proved that they were "working for intelligence agencies in the guise of journalists". "Those who work for intelligence agencies will be punished," Ahmadi added. The spokesman said the Taliban were investigating which journalists worked for intelligence agencies. "Do not come to North Waziristan, because local journalists are working here with full responsibility," he said. The Taliban spokesman asked the local journalists to remain committed to their profession and "never become the agents of other countries or people." The ban from the Taliban comes weeks after local militant commanders Gul Bahadur and Maulvi Nazir formed an alliance in North Waziristan.

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India-Pakistan

New Taliban group claims Waziristan blasts

2008-08-07

A new Taliban group in Waziristan on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the missile attacks and bomb blasts in South Waziristan a day earlier. Led by its commander Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the Taliban Ittehad said that they were responsible for firing missiles on three locations the previous day. Taliban Ittehad spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmadi said that they would retaliate against any attack by the government. Meanwhile, another commander Abdul Khaliq Haqqani said that he had prepared a group of suicide bombers to be used against the government. Talking to the media on Wednesday, Haqqani said that Baitullah Mehsud was not involved in Benazir Bhutto's assassination. "It wuz... ummm... somebody else."

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India-Pakistan

Taliban Shura condemns US attacks on S Waziristan

2008-07-31

A meeting of the Taliban Commanders Shura condemned United States' missile strike in South Waziristan Agency and the killing of tribesmen including Taliban commander Meeta Khan, on Wednesday. According to a press release issued by North Waziristan Taliban spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmadi, the Shura meeting also formed a 120-member Ulema committee, which appointed Commander Shamsullah as Meeta Khan's successor. The Taliban Shura also condemned the US attack in Azam Warsak in South Waziristan and called it a gift from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to appease the US and to ensure that he could remain the prime minister. The Taliban vowed to defend the country's borders in accordance with Islamic principles. The Shura also criticised US presidential hopeful Barak Obama for his anti-Taliban statements, saying that he was doing that only to win the presidential election. The Taliban Shura meeting also decided to continue Jihad for the imposition of shariah law in Pakistan.

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India-Pakistan

4 FC personnel kidnapped in S Waziristan

2008-01-02

Unidentified armed men kidnapped four Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel from the Laddha area of South Waziristan Agency on Tuesday, while militants in North Waziristan extended the January 1 ceasefire deadline for another 20 days. The FC men were abducted while walking from their observation post to get drinking water from a nearby stream, officials said. The security forces launched a search operation soon after the kidnapping. The military said five rebels had been killed and 20 others detained in the fighting, reported AFP. “Troops retaliated and launched an operation supported by artillery fire,” a statement said. “Security forces apprehended 20 miscreants and killed five others.” Officials confirmed that two civilians were injured in the artillery shelling. However, locals said the casualties were greater than those mentioned by the officials. South Waziristan is the stronghold of Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, who was recently implicated by the government in the killing of former Pakistan People’s Party chairwoman Benazir Bhutto. Separately, local Taliban in North Waziristan Agency have extended their ceasefire deadline. Ahmadullah Ahmadi, a spokesman for the local militants in the agency, told Daily Times over the telephone that the deadline had now been extended till January 20. The ceasefire was announced some 10 days back and the last date was set as January 1, which expired on Tuesday. The militants’ demands have been forwarded to the government and negotiations are underway to reach an agreement, he said. Insiders told Daily Times that negotiations between representatives of the Taliban and local officials were continuing to reach an agreement over ceasefire in the troubled region.

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