Bailey Cahall | The AfPak Channel | At least nine Afghan civilians were killed and 24 were injured
in Jalalabad on Saturday when three militants attempting to attack the Indian
consulate were stopped at a checkpoint and opened fire on a crowded street
before detonating a car bomb that ripped through a nearby mosque. Six of the victims were children who had been
studying the Koran inside the mosque.
India's Foreign Ministry confirmed that none of the consulate's staff
members had been killed, and there appeared to be no link between the attack
and the al-Qaeda threat alert that shuttered dozens of U.S. embassies over the
weekend. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman
for the Afghan Taliban, denied involvement in the attack, causing suspicion to
instead fall upon several Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including the
Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
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Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
August 5, 2013
High Alert in Pakistan After Serious Taliban Threat
Press Trust of India | NDTV | Islamabad: Pakistan has taken unprecedented security measures to fend off a looming threat by Taliban militants to launch the "biggest attack" on some unspecified important installation, officials said today.
Joint teams of commandos from the army, navy and air force went into action yesterday and took control of important facilities like the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Rawalpindi and several key sensitive security buildings in Islamabad.
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Joint teams of commandos from the army, navy and air force went into action yesterday and took control of important facilities like the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Rawalpindi and several key sensitive security buildings in Islamabad.
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August 1, 2013
3 al Qaeda Military 'Training Experts' Killed in US Drone Strike in Pakistan
Bill Roggio | Long War Journal | A Pakistani Taliban commander said that the US killed three al Qaeda military "training experts" in a drone strike in North Waziristan that took place last weekend. Al Qaeda continues to support Taliban military operations in Afghanistan and conduct its own attacks despite claims from US commanders that the terrorist group is merely fighting for its survival in the country and maintains a minimal presence.
The US drone strike, which took place on July 28 in the Shawal Valley in North Waziristan, a known hub for terrorists crossing into Afghanistan, is reported to have killed four Arabs and four Taliban fighters.
The Taliban commander told Reuters that the Arab fighters were "al Qaeda training experts who had crossed the border from Afghanistan to look at ways of setting up a similar camp on Pakistani territory." The al Qaeda fighters were identified as "Abu Rashid from Saudi Arabia, Muhammed Ilyas Kuwaiti from Kuwait, and Muhammed Sajid Yamani from Yemen."
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The US drone strike, which took place on July 28 in the Shawal Valley in North Waziristan, a known hub for terrorists crossing into Afghanistan, is reported to have killed four Arabs and four Taliban fighters.
The Taliban commander told Reuters that the Arab fighters were "al Qaeda training experts who had crossed the border from Afghanistan to look at ways of setting up a similar camp on Pakistani territory." The al Qaeda fighters were identified as "Abu Rashid from Saudi Arabia, Muhammed Ilyas Kuwaiti from Kuwait, and Muhammed Sajid Yamani from Yemen."
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Pak Taliban Planning to Attack Musharraf's Farmhouse in Islamabad
NewKerala | Islamabad, July 31 | Banned militant outfits in Pakistan have planned to attack former president Pervez Musharraf's farmhouse in Islamabad, security agencies have revealed.
Musharraf is being held at his Chak Shahzad farmhouse, which was declared a sub-jail, after being charged in multiple criminal cases.
According to the Express Tribune, information gathered by the intelligence agencies revealed that militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan could carry out the attacks.
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Musharraf is being held at his Chak Shahzad farmhouse, which was declared a sub-jail, after being charged in multiple criminal cases.
According to the Express Tribune, information gathered by the intelligence agencies revealed that militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan could carry out the attacks.
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July 31, 2013
The First Glimmer
Richard Fernandez | Belmont Club | The New York Times
writes “Al Qaeda in Iraq Scores Big”. The piece is signed by the
editorial board too. It describes the negative consequences of the
President’s hasty abandonment of Iraq. But more properly considered, it
is an indictment of a whole strategy. For the consequences of that
failed plan are rippling not just through Iraq, but North Africa, Egypt,
Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. Before the end the consequences may spread
to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Well let’s not forget the breakouts in Libya or Pakistan either. That last paragraph– “but Iraq might have been better able to repel Al Qaeda if Mr. Maliki and the Americans had worked harder on a deal to keep a token number of troops in the country to continue helping with training and intelligence-gathering ” – is probably as close to eating crow as anything recently published by the Gray Lady. Time to re-excerpt my old post, the Ten Ships, published in May, 2010, which if read, might have made the NYT’s surprise and astonishment at the burgeoning disaster less.
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Iraq is a sovereign country, responsible for its own security. But Iraq might have been better able to repel Al Qaeda if Mr. Maliki and the Americans had worked harder on a deal to keep a token number of troops in the country to continue helping with training and intelligence-gathering. Not surprising, Mr. Maliki’s interest in such an arrangement has grown; Army Special Operations and the C.I.A. reportedly have small units in the country to assist in counterterrorism activities.
Well let’s not forget the breakouts in Libya or Pakistan either. That last paragraph– “but Iraq might have been better able to repel Al Qaeda if Mr. Maliki and the Americans had worked harder on a deal to keep a token number of troops in the country to continue helping with training and intelligence-gathering ” – is probably as close to eating crow as anything recently published by the Gray Lady. Time to re-excerpt my old post, the Ten Ships, published in May, 2010, which if read, might have made the NYT’s surprise and astonishment at the burgeoning disaster less.
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Taliban Group Claims Responsibility for Pakistani Prison Break
The Globe and Mail | ISMAIL KHAN | The New York Times News Service | PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — Nearly 250 prisoners escaped after a massive attack on one of the main prisons in northwestern Pakistan on Monday night, a senior security official said.
Authorities imposed a curfew in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, after the overnight attack on the 100-year-old central prison there, which had held more than 500 inmates. All roads leading to the neighbouring restive tribal regions of North and South Waziristan were blocked and a search has begun, officials said, adding that six prisoners had been recaptured.
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Authorities imposed a curfew in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, after the overnight attack on the 100-year-old central prison there, which had held more than 500 inmates. All roads leading to the neighbouring restive tribal regions of North and South Waziristan were blocked and a search has begun, officials said, adding that six prisoners had been recaptured.
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Pak Intel had Warned Days Before About Taliban's Brazen Plan to Attack Dera Ismail Khan Jail
Afghanistan Sun (ANI) | Wednesday 31st July, 2013 - Pakistan intelligence agencies had warned the concerned authorities days before that the Taliban were planning to carry out an assault on the central jail in Dera Ismail Khan.
The National Crisis Management Cell had written a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Interior Minister, IG FC Police and IG Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and warned them of the possibility of an attack.
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The National Crisis Management Cell had written a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Interior Minister, IG FC Police and IG Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and warned them of the possibility of an attack.
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India, Pakistan will play significant roles in Afghanistan: US
Afghanistan Sun | IANS | Wednesday 31st July, 2013 - As a new US defence department report suggested that the "zero option" in Afghanistan - a complete pullout of US troops - is unrealistic, a Pentagon official said India and Pakistan would play significant roles there in future.
"I think both Pakistan and India will play and ought to play very important, significant roles going forward in Afghanistan," Peter Lavoy, the Pentagon's top policy official on Afghanistan told reporters Tuesday in response to a question.
"Those countries and other immediate and nearby neighbours of Afghanistan are affected by the security conditions in Afghanistan," he said briefing reporters on Pentagon's twice-a-year report to Congress on "Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan."
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"I think both Pakistan and India will play and ought to play very important, significant roles going forward in Afghanistan," Peter Lavoy, the Pentagon's top policy official on Afghanistan told reporters Tuesday in response to a question.
"Those countries and other immediate and nearby neighbours of Afghanistan are affected by the security conditions in Afghanistan," he said briefing reporters on Pentagon's twice-a-year report to Congress on "Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan."
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India, Pakistan Fear 'Surplus Terrorism' after Afghan Pullout
The Times of India | WASHINGTON - India and Pakistan fear that any instability in the war-torn
Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US troops could result in
"surplus terrorism" in both the countries, a top US official has said.
At the same time he said that the US believes both India and Pakistan will play significant roles in Afghanistan in the coming years.
"I think both Pakistan and India will play and ought to play very important, significant roles going forward in Afghanistan" said Peter Lavoy, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asia Pacific Security Affairs.
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At the same time he said that the US believes both India and Pakistan will play significant roles in Afghanistan in the coming years.
"I think both Pakistan and India will play and ought to play very important, significant roles going forward in Afghanistan" said Peter Lavoy, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asia Pacific Security Affairs.
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July 30, 2013
The Taliban is Not the Biggest Barrier to Education for Malala's Peers
Kevin Watkins | The Guardian | Last October, the Taliban thought they had solved a problem. When one
of its gunmen shot a 15-year-old girl in the head for publicly opposing
a ban on girls' schooling, it looked as though they had silenced a
source of dissent. Instead, their intended victim has emerged a powerful
voice for education. Speaking at the UN two weeks ago, Malala Yousafzai capitivated a global audience when she called on children worldwide to demand universal primary education and for governments to deliver free schooling.
"I raise up my voice so that those without a voice can be heard," she said. Her speech was a passionate call to action. But it was also a stark reminder of the failure of governments to deliver on their promise to get all of the world's children into school by 2015. And no government has failed more comprehensively than that of Pakistan.
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"I raise up my voice so that those without a voice can be heard," she said. Her speech was a passionate call to action. But it was also a stark reminder of the failure of governments to deliver on their promise to get all of the world's children into school by 2015. And no government has failed more comprehensively than that of Pakistan.
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Taliban Militants Storm Pakistani Prison
ITAR-TASS | ISLAMABAD, July 30. –
Taliban forces have successfully stormed a prison located in Dera Ismail
Khan, a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. As a result of
this operation, 243 inmates managed to escape – six of those were later
detained. Among those who fled the prison are a number of members of
extremist organizations. According to local media, the assault led to 13
casualties: six police officers, four inmates, two combatants and one
civilian.
Eyewitnesses reported that terrorists first disabled power generators of the prison, allowing them to attack it under the cover of darkness. Eight powerful makeshift explosive devices were used during the assault.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has taken responsibility for this daring assault. The outlawed organization is known for being behind the majority of terrorist acts conducted on the territory of Pakistan.
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Eyewitnesses reported that terrorists first disabled power generators of the prison, allowing them to attack it under the cover of darkness. Eight powerful makeshift explosive devices were used during the assault.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has taken responsibility for this daring assault. The outlawed organization is known for being behind the majority of terrorist acts conducted on the territory of Pakistan.
READ MORE
More Than 240 Prisoners Freed in Brazen Attack by the Pakistani Taliban
Bailey Cahall | AfPak Channel | Around 243 prisoners, including 30 "hardcore militants,"
escaped from the heavily guarded Central Prison in the city of Dera Ismail Khan
in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday night when more than 100 militants
armed with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy arms attacked the facility. The highly coordinated assault began when the
attackers blew up the prison's electricity line, detonated bombs they had
planted around the facility to breach its external wall, and opened fire on the
prison's security forces. According to
multiple reports, around 70 of the militants were in police uniforms, and they used
megaphones to call out to specific prisoners, freeing them from their cells
with hand grenades. At least 14 people
were killed in the attack, including six policemen and six Shi'a prisoners
whose throats were slashed by the gunmen.
Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, contacted multiple news agencies to claim responsibility for the assault, which comes a little more than a year after the group attacked the Central Jail in Bannu and freed about 400 prisoners. Dera Ismail Khan and the neighboring town of Tank have been placed under a curfew while a search operation for the escaped prisoners continues. Those released include Abdul Hakim and Haji Illyas, two local Taliban commanders, as well as Waleed Akbar, a sectarian militant suspected of killing Shi'a mourners during an attack last year.
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Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, contacted multiple news agencies to claim responsibility for the assault, which comes a little more than a year after the group attacked the Central Jail in Bannu and freed about 400 prisoners. Dera Ismail Khan and the neighboring town of Tank have been placed under a curfew while a search operation for the escaped prisoners continues. Those released include Abdul Hakim and Haji Illyas, two local Taliban commanders, as well as Waleed Akbar, a sectarian militant suspected of killing Shi'a mourners during an attack last year.
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July 25, 2013
Dutch Court Blocks Extradition of Terror Suspect to US
War on Terror News | VOA News | July 23, 2013 - A Dutch court has blocked the extradition of a terror suspect to the United States, saying it has not been ruled out that the U.S. played a role in his alleged torture while he was detained Pakistan.
The man, identified as Sabir K., is accused of working with al-Qaida and planning a suicide attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.
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The man, identified as Sabir K., is accused of working with al-Qaida and planning a suicide attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.
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US Sending Pointman to Pak to Revive Qatar Afghan Peace Process
Afghanistan Sun (ANI) | Thursday 25th July, 2013 | The Obama administration has reportedly sent a special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of diplomatic efforts to break the deadlock in the Afghan reconciliation process.
According to the Express Tribune, the US special representative James Dobbins will meet senior Pakistani officials including Prime Minister's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz during his two-day trip to Islamabad.
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REPORT: US Troop Withdrawl to Cause Reunion of Afghan-Pak Taliban Militants
Afghanistan Sun (ANI) | Thursday 25th July, 2013 | An official strategy document on counter-terrorism has warned that the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan will further boost the morale of the Pakistani Taliban.
The assessment by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in a document named 'Checkmating Terrorism: A Counter-Terrorism Strategy' has revealed that US-led foreign troop withdrawal will create a sense of euphoria among the Afghan Taliban and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants, the Dawn News reports.
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Militants Storm ISI Headquarters in Sukkur, killing 4 and wounding 40
Bailey Cahall | AfPak Channel | Foreign Policy | At least four security officials died and 40 more people were injured in the town of Sukkur in Sindh province on Wednesday night when militants stormed the local headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's powerful military intelligence agency. According to multiple reports, at least five attackers broke in to the heavily guarded compound and detonated four bombs before seizing control of a government building and exchanging gunfire with security personnel; all five militants were among the dead. While many government officials are attributing the attack to the Pakistani Taliban, no one has claimed responsibility for the assault.
During his weekly press briefing on Thursday, Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, the spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign office, said the Afghan Taliban's political office in Doha would reopen soon, but he provided no information to support that claim. Chaudhry also said the dates for Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to Pakistan would be decided shortly, and that the CIA drone campaign would be addressed with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry when he visits Islamabad next week.
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During his weekly press briefing on Thursday, Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, the spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign office, said the Afghan Taliban's political office in Doha would reopen soon, but he provided no information to support that claim. Chaudhry also said the dates for Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to Pakistan would be decided shortly, and that the CIA drone campaign would be addressed with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry when he visits Islamabad next week.
READ MORE...
July 18, 2013
Pakistan Taliban's letter to Malala Yousafzai
Pakistan Taliban's letter to Malala Yousafzai: We tried to kill you because you were smearing our cause - but we regret attack
The Independent | Omar Waraich | Wednesday 17 July 2013 - A leading commander of the Pakistani Taliban has written to Malala Yousafzai – the 16-year-old schoolgirl and education advocate who survived a near-fatal assassination attempt last October – to express his regret at the attack.
The letter is written by Adnan Rashid, a prominent member of the Pakistani Taliban who joined the militant group after a career as a technician in the Pakistan Air Force.
“When you were attacked, it was shocking for me,” wrote Mr Rashid, according to the letter published by Channel 4. “I wished it would never happened[sic] and I had advised you before.”
READ MORE...
July 1, 2013
Pakistan Tells Britain it Backs Afghan Peace Efforts
Khurram SHAHZAD | Fox News | AFP | ISLAMABAD (AFP) – Pakistan assured Britain's visiting prime minister on Sunday that it would promote peace efforts in neighbouring Afghanistan as the West pushes for talks with the Taliban ahead of NATO's withdrawal.
David Cameron's talks in Islamabad were conducted as three attacks in northwest Pakistan killed at least 25 people, underscoring the Islamist militant violence plaguing both sides of the Afghan border. His two-day visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan was part of a Western push to end a 12-year Taliban insurgency after recent efforts to start peace talks collapsed in ignominy over the manner in which the militants opened an office in Qatar on June 18.
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David Cameron's talks in Islamabad were conducted as three attacks in northwest Pakistan killed at least 25 people, underscoring the Islamist militant violence plaguing both sides of the Afghan border. His two-day visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan was part of a Western push to end a 12-year Taliban insurgency after recent efforts to start peace talks collapsed in ignominy over the manner in which the militants opened an office in Qatar on June 18.
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Taliban Rejects Talks as Britain's Cameron Tours Region
VoANews via Afghanistan Sun | Sunday 30th June, 2013 | ISLAMABAD - International-backed efforts to seek a negotiated end to the 12 years of grinding war in Afghanistan have suffered another blow after Taliban rebels apparently rejected conditions for proposed peace talks. The development comes as British Prime Minister David Cameron concluded a trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of efforts to revive the stalled peace process.
In its first formal reaction following the opening of the controversial Taliban political office nearly two weeks ago in Qatar, the Afghan insurgent group has harshly criticized the United States and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai for allegedly "wasting time" and making "false commitments" regarding proposed peace talks.
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Pakistan Assures British PM of Afghan Peace Talks
MENAFN | Monday 1st July, 2013 | (MENAFN - Arab News) Pakistan assured Britain's visiting prime minister yesterday that it would promote peace efforts in neighboring Afghanistan as the West pushes for talks with the Taleban ahead of NATO's withdrawal. David Cameron's talks in Islamabad were conducted as three attacks in northwest Pakistan killed at least 44 people, underscoring the militant violence plaguing both sides of the Afghan border. His two-day visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan was part of a Western push to end a 12-year Taleban insurgency after recent efforts to start peace talks collapsed in ignominy...
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