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BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Fifty Pakistani troops 'missing'
Fifty Pakistani troops 'missing'
The Pakistani army is under increased pressure in Waziristan
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50 Pakistani troops have gone missing amid heavy fighting with pro-Taleban militants near the Afghan border, the army says.
It said that the soldiers disappeared after militants attacked security posts and an army patrol near the town of Mir Ali in the region of North Waziristan.
The army said that about 60 suspected militants and 20 soldiers died in clashes in the area over the weekend.
Meanwhile Lt Gen Ashfaq Kiani has become the new vice-chief of the army.
The former head of Pakistani intelligence is expected to become overall head of the army shortly if President Pervez Musharraf resigns from this position as promised.
He would inherit an army under growing pressure from insurgents in the tribal areas near the Afghan border.
Fiercest fighting
"We have reports of around 50 troops missing. They are out of communications and their whereabouts have not been found," chief military spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad told the AFP news agency.
The army says that the troops have been missing since Monday morning following clashes near Mir Ali, the second biggest town in the tribal district of North Waziristan.
This follows a weekend of heavy fighting. After a number of attacks on military convoys, the army sent helicopter gunships and jet fighters to target suspected militant positions in several villages.
Scores of people were killed. The army says they were militants and soldiers. But locals report at least 10 civilians were among the dead.
Correspondents say that these military campaigns are deeply unpopular in Pakistan.
They are widely seen as carried out under American pressure since Washington wants Pakistan to crack down on pro-Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters near the Afghan border.
It is believed the upper ranks of the army broadly accept this policy whatever their personal misgivings. That includes the new deputy head of the army, Lt Gen Kiani.
Lt Gen Kiani faces a huge challenge in Waziristan
Analysts say the danger is in the lower ranks where morale seems to be low.
Another batch of more than 200 soldiers were captured recently by militants, and appeared to have surrendered without a fight.
Correspondents say that Lt Gen Kiani will need all his skills to tackle the growing insurgency in the tribal areas.
Pro-Taleban militants have stepped up attacks on the army after a ceasefire collapsed in mid-July.
bbc news.....
So whats really happening? any ideas of whats happening behind the scenes?
so far we are having alot of Pakistani soldiers being captured or not performing to expectations...they have suffered more casualties than the NATO troops across the border! it indicates the assuptions mentioned below:
1) Pakistan's troops are extremely poorly trained, primarily due to lack of real training. I had previously encountered an officer of senior rank who mentioned that the 'career' type of officer is to blame - as he wants to shine but not do his/her job efficiently (i.e not really bothered about the adequate level of training required for his troops) in order to perform when expected - as in this case.
2) How are the 'rebels' or miscreants doing a better job against the Pak soldiers...especially when many of the 'rebels' were trainied by the Pak Armed forces?
3) Who is funding the rebels? supplying them with adequate numbers of weapons?
I was informed by a colleague who was close to a senior Staff officer. It was indicated that the missing/kidnapped troops were really soldiers who had put down their arms as they did not want to fight fellow muslims. There will be a court martial eventually - pending the given circumstances.
This is the main reason - if this is the case then it seems that the Armed forces are increasingly becoming polarized - which does not look promising!
Behind the scenes - third party interference from the the US/UK is not to brushed aside lightly. it is in their interest to see a weak Pakistani nation. They are doing exactly (especially the UK) what they have done before- DIVIDE and CONQUER!
Why o why why.....do people not heed advice from history.
Pakistan needs to stand firmly toghether and resolve it's problems amicably. They should not let foreign powers policy destroy it's own nation.
