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India-Pakistan

Pakistan claims India, Afghanistan aid violence

2009-09-20

[Iran Press TV Latest] Pakistan says detained militant commanders have confessed to the involvement of foreign secret services in Taliban-linked violence in the country's northwestern tribal belt. A report by a Pakistani investigation team has claimed 23 Tehrik-e-Taliban commanders have admitted to receiving financial aid, weapons and special training from Indian and Afghan secret agencies, the Dawn reported on Saturday. Among the commanders confessing are Sim Khan, Mahmood Khan and Maulvi Umer who were captured by security forces during 'Operation Rah-e-Rast' in the lawless Swat valley. The report further disclosed that some militants underwent terrorist training in Afghanistan. It also accused India's secret departments, including its Foreign Intelligence Agency (RAW), of being in contact with those militants in Afghanistan's Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar Sharif. Meetings between Tehrik-e-Taliban militants and their foreign collaborators were reportedly arranged during feasts where the terrorists were provided with weapons and money earned through narcotics trade, according to the report.

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India-Pakistan

Six Taliban killed as troops advance in Bajaur Agency

2009-02-10

Security forces on Monday continued pounding Taliban hideouts as six more Taliban were killed before forces regained control of Inayat Qilay area in Bajaur Agency, official sources said. Security forces are now advancing into Mamond tehsil, military sources told Daily Times. They said the troops, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, had killed six Taliban. The security forces also blew up several militants' hideouts at Inayat Qilay, Badsamor and Umrai areas during the operation, they added. Curfew: The Taliban, meanwhile, fired rockets and mortars at Civil Colony. The armament landed in open fields and no loss of life has been reported. However, a shop was destroyed in Khar when the Taliban fired rockets in the area. Following the rocket attack, the political administration imposed curfew in Khar for an indefinite period. Khar Assistant Political Agent (APA) Iqbal Khattak said the administration had imposed a curfew because the tribesmen have failed to protect the area and militants have initiated rocket attacks in the agency headquarters. The administration has further tightened security in the agency and established special checkposts at business centres. Ready for talks: Also on Monday, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Maulvi Umer announced the TTP was ready to negotiate with the government, adding that it wants to engage in dialogue to find a solution to all problems.

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India-Pakistan

Talibs attack army convoy in Miranshah

2008-11-22

Taliban attacked an army convoy in Miranshah in North Waziristan Agency on Friday with a remote-controlled bomb, injuring two security personnel. The convoy was travelling from Bannu to Miranshah when the bomb exploded at Pir Kali, 20 kilometres east of Miranshah on Bannu-Miranshah road. Meanwhile, security forces pounded suspected Taliban hideouts in Mamoond and Nawagai tehsils of Bajaur Agency. Thirteen Taliban were killed and five others were injured. Sources said the security forces were backed by jet aircraft, which bombed Damadola, Tani Khwar, Suprey, Kharkay, Gatki, Charmang, Kotki, Zorband and Glokas Shinkot. Attacks in the morning killed three Taliban in Mamoond, while late afternoon attacks by security forces and jet aircraft killed 10 Taliban in both Mamoond and Nawagai, the sources said. Several Taliban hideouts were destroyed. Meanwhile, defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Maulvi Umer denied the group had carried out Thursday's suicide attack at a mosque in Badan. He said the TTP did not believe in violence and wanted solution to problems through dialogue. AFP quoted local government official Muhammad Jamil as saying "The airstrike killed 14 militants and wounded 10 others." NNI quoted a private television channel as saying that a local Taliban commander was killed in the operation in Mamoond.

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India-Pakistan

12 more militants die in fresh Bajaur clashes

2008-10-19

(APP): The security forces backed by jet fighters, gunship helicopters and artillery Saturday heavily targeted militants' hideouts in parts of Bajaur Agency, killing at least twelve more militants in the ongoing operation. The jet fighters and chopper gunship targeted hideouts of militants in Charmang, Chinar, Loisam, Sarlara and other areas, security official told APP. The officials of security forces said 12 militants have been killed in today's operation besides demolition of their strongholds. The government's writ was being speedily established in these areas after the eliminatin of the militants and life was returning to normalcy. All the trading and commercial centres in Khar headquarters of Bajaur agency remained open on Saturday with routine business going on. People have been moving to safer places. Meanwhile spokesman of Tehrik Taliban Pakistan Maulivi Umer in a telephonic talk with the local journalists reiterated the Taliban offer of negotiations with the government. Negotation is the best option for resolution of disputes, he added. He said the government should stop operation before talks. To a question, Maulvi Umer said the government has not yet responded to the talks offer.

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India-Pakistan

Jirga announces sanctions against Taliban supporters

2008-09-06

A grand tribal jirga of the Salarzai tribes in Bajaur Agency on Friday announced tougher sanctions against supporters of the Taliban. The new sanctions include the torching of houses and a fine of Rs 1 million for Salarzai tribesmen providing refuge to the militants, tribal elders told Daily Times. Elders of all the Salarzai tribes participated in the jirga, which also decided that the Taliban would not be allowed to disrupt peace in the Salarzai tehsil. Addressing the jirga, Malak Manasab Khan, Malak Bakhtawar Khan, Malak Abdul Nasir and Malak Muhammad Younas said, "Pakistan is our country and we don't want militancy here. Those involved in creating law and order problems in the tehsil have no right to live here." They said if the Taliban took any action against them, they would react strongly. "Complete peace has been restored in the Salarzai tehsil and there is no militant in the area," the elders told the jirga. The tribal elders also convened a grand jirga of the Salarzai tribes on September 10. Meanwhile, security forces, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, destroyed suspected militant hideouts in Khar and Torghundi areas. The locals have started fleeing to safer areas. The locals face problems due to an un-announced curfew in the agency. Most of the business centres and government departments remained closed. TTP: Spokesman of the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Maulvi Umer said on telephone from an undisclosed location that the government was violating the ceasefire in Bajaur Agency, Swat and other Tribal Areas. He vowed that the Taliban were still standing by their promise. "There is complete ceasefire from the Taliban side," he added. Umer said the Taliban reserved the right to retaliate where the security forces attacked them. He also warned of revenge for the damages done to the Taliban.

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan: Nationwide security alert after new Taliban threats

2008-08-23

(AKI) - Pakistan was on high alert on Friday after the Taliban threatened to carry out more terrorist attacks across the country. The Interior Ministry has ordered tighter security measures in the country's four provinces following an ominous statement from the leader of Tehrik-i-Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, that the group was planning more suicide attacks. Two suicide bombers killed 70 people and injured at least 80 others when they blew themselves up on Thursday outside the Pakistan Ordinance Factory in the high security town of Wah, near Islamabad. It was described as the deadliest attack on a military installation in the country's history. Interior Ministry sources said on Friday that six suicide bombers from Baitullah Mehsud's group had entered different parts of the country to carry out more terrorist acts in protest against military action in the Bajaur Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan. "We carried out this attack and soon similar blasts will happen all across the world if the military operations do not stop in the Swat Valley and Bajaur," spokesperson for Pakistan's Tehrik-i-Taliban, Moulvi Omar, said in a statement issued to the national media on Thursday. Pakistani Taliban leaders had threatened earlier this month to carry out suicide attacks in major cities, including Karachi and Islamabad, unless the military stopped its offensive against militants. Tehreek's spokesman, Maulvi Umer told Geo News from an undisclosed location that suicide attackers have been sent in different cities including Islamabad, Multan, Lahore and Karachi to target military installations there. He said the Wah suicide blasts were carried out in reaction to the actions against Taliban in Bajaur Agency, the Swat Valley in the North West Frontier Province and other areas. The ministry has directed all four provincial governments and police to strengthen their security and monitoring arrangements. Meanwhile, at least 11 people were killed and 15 others were injured when security forces attacked suspected militant hideouts in Bajaur Agency on Thursday. More than 250,000 people have been displaced by the ongoing conflict.

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India-Pakistan

Pakistain: Taliban claims responsibility for hospital attack

2008-08-20

(AKI) - The Taliban has claimed responsibility for a devastating suicide attack that killed at least 25 and injured many others at a hospital in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. The attack took place as Shia Muslims gathered at the hospital in the Dera Ismail Khan district on Tuesday to mourn a local leader who had been shot dead. The latest violence came a day after Pervez Musharraf resigned as president and as political leaders were meeting to discuss to resolve differences over the judiciary and potential presidential candidates. It also underscored the political uncertainty facing Pakistan. An emergency was declared at the hospital soon after the bomb attack and police immediately cordoned off entire area. According to Pakistan's Geo-TV, local Taliban spokesman, Maulvi Umer, warned that such suicide attacks would continue until the security forces ceased their operations in the Swat Valley and other parts of the North West Frontier Province areas.

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India-Pakistan

Bajaur battle kills 10 troops, 25 militants

2008-08-08

Hundreds of Taliban militants attacked a security checkpost near the Afghan border late on Wednesday, sparking fierce clashes in which up to 10 troops and 25 militants were killed, officials said on Thursday. The security forces had deployed a large force to Loyesam, 12 kilometres from the Bajaur Agency headquarters, in a bid to reclaim important nearby Taliban strongholds. An officer from the paramilitary Frontier Corps told AFP that 300-400 militants armed with AK-47 assault rifles, rocket launchers and grenades, participated in the attack. "The firing continued the whole night. This morning reinforcements were sent. One vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device on its way to the post and the convoy was then attacked by Taliban militants," the official said. "The fighting is intense and ongoing," an unidentified security official told AFP. "Up to 25 militants were killed and at least 10 Frontier Corps soldiers have also been martyred," he said. But Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Maulvi Umer told Daily Times 18 security forces personnel were killed. The casualties could not be ascertained independently. All resources: Maulvi Umar said the Taliban would use all resources to regain control of Loyesam area, very close to Afghan border. Helicopter gunships: Helicopter gunships pounded insurgent positions during the fighting, and the Taliban fired a rocket at a gunship helicopter, but could not damage it.

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India-Pakistan

TTP denies links with India

2008-08-01

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Thursday dismissed as baseless a statement made by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik, in which he had said that TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud had connections with India. The TTP said Malik's statement was absolutely unfounded and that it was an attempt to malign the Taliban. Talking to the media from an undisclosed location, TTP spokesman Maulvi Umer said Malik's statement alleging that the Taliban had links with India and were getting financial assistance from the country was deplorable and silly and was not based on facts. They said Mehsud had no connections with India and was not receiving any financial aid from it. The spokesman said the TTP came into existence in the name of jihad and its aim was to fight a holy war against India and the United States forces in Afghanistan. Maulvi Umer said the TTP had damaged India's interests in Afghanistan in many actions. He said the TTP could not even think of taking financial assistance from India, an enemy, to create chaos and law and order problems in Pakistan. The spokesman said India was the worst enemy of Pakistan. He said a responsible person like Rehman Malik should avoid issuing statements that were not based on facts as such statements were not in the interests of Pakistan.

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India-Pakistan

Taliban kill rival group leaders

2008-07-20

GHALANAI/PESHAWAR: The Umar Khalid group of Taliban killed two top leaders of a rival militant group in Mohmand on Saturday. Taliban spokesman Dr Asad said that the chief of Shah group, Muslim Khan, and his deputy, Maulvi Obaidullah, were shot dead after a Taliban court ordered their executions. Meanwhile, Baitullah Mehsud called an immediate meeting of Taliban Shoora to hold accountable Khalid for the killings, Geo TV quoted Maulvi Umer as saying.

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Afghanistan

Dozens feared dead in Afghan border clash

2008-06-11

PESHAWAR: Taliban and Afghan National Army backed by American forces have traded severe firing in Sooran Dara area of Mehmand and Bajaur Agencies on Afghan border late Tuesday evening. Take the Afghans and the points... Sources told this correspondent that Afghan National Army backed by American forces and gunship helicopters clashed with Taliban when the former on a tip-off attacked a Taliban hideout in the Sooran Dara area. Unconfirmed reports receiving from the Dara revealed that dozens of Taliban and Afghan National Army are feared dead in the clashes. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umer talking to this correspondent via phone from an undisclosed location said that clashes erupted in Sooran Dara area when American and Afghan National Army backed by gunship helicopters and jets attacked Taliban on the Afghan border. He said that Afghan National Army and American forces and their jets also violated the territorial limits of Pakistan and continued to fly over Mehmand and Bajaur Agencies for few minutes. Asked about the casualties, he said that though jets had been seen pouring bombs on Taliban but the number of casualties could not be ascertained immediately. He said that Sooran Dara was one of the strongholds of Taliban and Pakistan army had no presence in this area. It was the responsibility of Pakistan army to protect its boundaries but the job is being done by Taliban, he added.

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India-Pakistan

Taliban member killed, spokesman vows Dire Revenge™

2008-06-05

A member of Taliban was killed and three others injured when security forces opened fire at a vehicle in the Navagai area of Bajaur Agency, sources told Daily Times on Wednesday. The dead Talib has been identified as Ziaur Rehman. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Maulvi Umer condemned the security forces’ attack and warned of Dire Revenge™ for the killing of their colleague. He said that Taliban had started peace efforts in the agency but some elements were not sincere and wanted to disturb the law and order situation in the agency.

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