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India-Pakistan

Mulla Nazeer scraps peace deal with govt

2009-07-03

[The News (Pak) Top Stories] After the Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led militants in North Waziristan, another pro-government militant commander, Mulla Nazeer, also scrapped his peace deal with the government in South Waziristan Agency on Thursday. A senior associate of Mulla Nazeer, Saada Janan, called The News from Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan, and claimed their Shura or council unanimously decided to scrap the peace accord with the government to protest the frequent US drone attacks in their territory. The political administration of South Waziristan, however, claimed that Mulla Nazeer has revived his peace accord with the government by sending 120-member jirga of Ahmadzai Wazir elders to negotiate with senior government officials in Wana. Prominent Ahmadzai elders, including Malik Noor Ali, Malik Ghazi Mohammad and Malik Ajmal Khan led the jirga that called on South Waziristan Political Agent Syed Shahab Ali Shah and Assistant Political Agent Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah in Wana. The elders said Mulla Nazeer had given them authority to hold talks with the government for restoration of peace in the region. Also, the jirga members said Mulla Nazeer allowed them to revive the April 2007 peace agreement with the government and promised not to attack government installations and security forces. After successful talks between the government and Ahmadzai Wazirs, the government later released six tribesmen who were held a few days back. A close associate of Mulla Nazeer, who introduced himself as Sadda Janan, however, called The News and said they have nothing to do with a meeting of tribal jirga and political authorities. He said their Shura or council decided to scrap the peace agreement with the government as according to him the government was fully cooperating with US forces in targeting their leadership in Wana through drone attacks. He said they had already directed their fighters to attack government installations and fight against the security forces. Asked about a similar stance already taken by Taliban commander in North Waziristan, Hafiz Gul Bahadur over US drone attacks, where drone did not fire missile during the past two months, Saada Janan argued all the three Taliban commanders -- Baitullah Mahsud, Mulla Nazeer and Hafiz Gul Bahadur -- in February last formed Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen or council of holy warriors, in which he claimed, all of them promised to fight alongside if anyone of them was attacked. Mulla Nazeer and his Ahmadzai Wazir militants played decisive role in eviction of Uzbek nationals from Wana, Azam Warsak and Shakai areas when the government launched massive military operation against them in 2007.

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India-Pakistan

Army secures more bunkers as Lashkar advances

2007-04-08

As the tribal Lashkar made advances in the Azam Warsak, Kalosha and Wacha Dana areas of South Waziristan Agency on Saturday, Army troops took control of more bunkers the Lashkar had got vacated from foreigners. However, the troops have so far stayed away from the fighting. Sporadic firing continued in Bar Karmazai, Kalosha, Azam Warsak and Nandroon Ghundai, sources told The News. It was also observed that the Uzbek militants were moving towards mountains near the Afghan border like Nandroon. According to a report nine bodies of foreign militants killed in the clashes were recovered at Azam Warsak and buried by locals. The tribesmen in a Jirga held on Saturday renewed their demand for government support in the final push against the Uzbeks, especially air support. The Jirga held at Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan Agency, asked tribal elders from different sub-tribes who have left the agency due to threats, to return and join the Lashkar. Warning was also issued to others, including Malik Besmillah Khan, Malik Khanzada Khan, Malik Ali Shah Khan of Sheikh Bazidkhel tribe, Ajmal Khan of Kakakhel tribe and Malik Noor Ali Khan of Utmankhel to attend the Jirga being held tomorrow. The exact number of casualties could not be ascertained due to host of reasons, including journalists’ inaccessibility to the area and political authorities’ reluctance to talk to reporters. However, reports say that at least 220 foreigners have so far been killed in the fighting. The locals killed in the clashes include seven close relatives of Maulvi Nazeer, identified as Azhay, Malik Pashat Khan, Malik Juma Khan, who was hanged at Wana Bazaar by the Uzbeks, Hamdullah, and a female and two youths. Three relatives of the Lashkar leader, Malik Sherin, have also been killed besides setting on fire his two houses. There are also reports that the Uzbeks are getting supply from certain elements. They are in possession of heavy and light machine guns, sophisticated artillery, multi-barrel short-range missile-rocket launchers and ordinary rocket launchers.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

10 foreign terrorists killed in Shakai

2004-07-21

PESHAWAR: The security forces using artillery and helicopters attacked hide-outs of suspected foreign militants in Shakai, killing 10 of them, a senior security official said on Tuesday. The troops attacked two hide-outs in Shakai, a village in South Waziristan which has been the scene of several army operations in recent weeks, said the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity. Military spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan confirmed the attack on militants' hideouts, but did not give details on the number of suspects killed. "I can say no more!" The army inflicted unspecified casualties on the militants, the spokesman said. He said militants had been "flushed out" from the area. "Flushed out means that they have either been killed or pushed out," he said, declining to say how many fighters had been killed or wounded. "They (the militants) suffered fatalities," he added. "They have lost the heights which they have been occupying and now security forces occupy them." Shaukat Sultan said a suspected foreign fighter carrying rockets and a rocket launcher had been captured in Tuesday's operation. "What's with the rocket launcher, Mahmoud?" "Elk season coming up, I wanted to get ready." Behroz Khan adds: Heavy fighting and bombing by the Pakistani fighter jets was reported in Santoi and Mantoi areas of the South Waziristan Agency on Tuesday amid reports that the security forces were narrowing the circle around militants resisting the advancement of army and paramilitary troops. "Heavy bombing is going on in Santoi and Mantoi valleys and reports reaching Wana suggest that noose around the militants has been tightened," said Muhammad Noor, a local journalist based at Wana. Yeah, we heard that one before. However, no details about casualties and damage to property were immediately available. But locals said that both sides seem to have suffered heavy losses. No official confirmation of the claims was available till filing of this report. "About 80 to 90 fighters are believed to have been trapped in the area and the intensity of fighting shows that the situation is grim," said a local source requesting not to be named. The army, the source said, used F-7 fighter jets and pounded hide-outs of the militants with regular intervals. The heavy bombing, the source said, was indicative of the fact that the security forces faced stiff resistance and thus resorted to bombing to weaken the resistance by destroying bunkers and hide-outs of the foreign fighters. The security forces have taken control of almost all the high peaks in the area and the advancement towards Dand area, where heavy fighting is reported between the warring sides, was under consideration. Witnesses said the security forces pounded the surrounding hilltops and Dand area with heavy guns from the Ziaray Noor Army Colony and Tiarza aimed at dislodging the entrenched militants. Meanwhile, a Jirga of the Ahmadzai Wazir held at Kari Kot area decided to hand over four persons each from the Karmazkhel and Malikkhel sub-tribes of Ahmadzai Wazir to the political administration today (Wednesday), as the two most wanted militants, Maulvi Abbas from the Malikkhels and Javed Khan of Karmazkhels, still refuse to surrender to the government. The government has charged the two among others, with giving protection to foreign nationals, who are blamed for the ongoing insurgency in South Waziristan. The Jirga, presided over by Malik Noor Ali Karmazkhel, would take up the issue of opening roads with Political Agent Asmatullah Gandapur when the eight tribesmen are surrendered to the authorities. Roads to Wana and other parts of the agency are close for all kinds of traffic and the economic blockade of the area continues. "Only the roads will be opened in reward for surrender of the eight tribesmen, while thousands of shops and business centres would remain sealed until both sides agree on some sort of arrangement to resolve the issue," said Muhammad Noor. On the other hand, a detainee, Malik Noor Ali, who had been sent to the DI Khan Jail under the collective responsibility, has been freed on a seven-day parole to negotiate peace with his tribesmen and help resolve the issue, which lingers on since March. Another Jirga is scheduled to meet at Wana today (Wednesday).

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Afghanistan/South Asia

34 arrested in Wana

2004-05-30

The government invoked on Saturday the territorial responsibility and collective punishment clauses of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) to punish Ahmedzai Wazir tribes for failing to act against foreign terrorists in South Waziristan Agency and arrested 34 tribesmen, including seven elders. FATA Security Chief Brig (r) Mehmood Shah told Daily Times that the political administration had launched an operation under FCR 21 and did not rule out a military operation as a follow-up to Saturday’s political action. Under FCR 21, the administration would arrest tribesmen suspected of allowing foreigners to live in their areas and seize their properties and vehicles. Sources in Wana said Malik Khanzada, Malik Sarwar Khan, Malik Anwar, Malik Noor Ali, Malik Zardalah Khan, Malik Abdullah and Malik Atlas Khan were taken into custody immediately after talks between them and officials of the political administration failed. The administration has warned that the arrested elders would not be released unless the foreign militants holed up in the area were turned over to them. Brig (r) Shah warned that the operation would continue unless the Ahmedzai Wazir tribesmen met their obligations under the territorial responsibility clause. Asked to explain their obligations, he said, “These tribes are responsible to ensure no foreigners stay in their areas.” The political administration arrested 14 Ahmedzai Wazir tribesmen at the Jandola entry point and impounded 13 of their vehicles. The rest of arrests were made in Tank city, a source in the political administration confirmed. “There is a complete ban on the transportation of all kinds of goods to and from South Waziristan Agency and no food items are being allowed into the agency,” the source said, ending speculation about an economic blockade of the Ahmedzai Wazir tribesmen to force them into submission. A journalist in Wana said tribesmen had started stocking food due to the economic blockade to avoid food shortages in the coming days. “Prices have shot up already,” the journalist added. Tribal sources said the government suspected that the eight arrested tribal elders had “Al Qaeda links”. The foreign terrorists in the agency chose Malik Khanzada’s home as a registration centre, which the government did not accept. The Wana administration also served notices to the Yargulkhel and Zalikhel sub-tribes, warning that their shops in Wana bazaar might be shut down or even bulldozed. The notice did not demand anything, but charge-sheeted them with allegations that a bank was robbed in their area, a tribal police vehicle was bombed, foreign terrorists were roaming around freely and drugs were being sold. With Saturday’s operation, prospects of any significant results on part of the tribal lashkar (army) appeared to have vanished. “How can it work now when there is an operation underway and our senior elders are behind the bars?” asked one tribal leader. But Malik Janan, a member of the 36-member advisory committee of the lashkar, told Daily Times that the committee would meet Nek Muhammad (leader of the pardoned group that had allegedly sheltered foreign terrorists) and his group today (Sunday) in Wana and ask them to force the foreign terrorists to meet the government’s demands.

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