Operation Rah-e-Rast (Swat)

[Faruqi]

how does this IED work? does someone has to touch it to make it blow up or are there any sensors which detect the movement?

Qambar ridge is where SSG was operating, isnt it?

IED stands for improvised explosive device. As the title suggests, they're improvised devices, therefore it's safe to assume they're quite simple. I think one of the main forms are those detonated by remote control, as it's easier to make remote operated devices that motion sensing ones, so I think the IED's are operated either by remote control or mobile phone most of the times.

Also, a large number of detonators & mobile phones have been recovered in anti Zaliman (terming courtesy of Rehman Malik) operations, so I'd assume they either use remote detonators and occasionally modified cell phone detonators.

 

[courageneverdies]

Rawalpindi - June 30, 2009:

Update Operation (Rah e Rast) 30 June 2009

1. During last 24 hours, Security forces killed 18 terrorists while 23 were apprehended from Swat and Dir. 3 soldiers embraced shahadat and 8 Soldiers including 3 Officers were injured. Security forces also recovered 1 explosive laden vehicle.

2. It has been reliably learnt that during clearance of Biha valley, 18 wounded terrorists, who could not have been taken to safety, were slaughtered by their own people on orders of their commanders.

3. Swat

a. Shah Dheri. Security forces commenced operation to secure Shah Dheri from two directions. From north, Samai Killile was secured. In the process 3 soldiers embraced shahadat and 5 soldiers including 2 officers got injured. From the east security forces secured Bhoka, Dande and Yakh Tangai Sar. During this operation 3 soldiers including an officer were injured.

b. Security forces commenced clearance and search operation around Rahatkot, and Jukhtai south east of Fatehpur and recovered 1 explosive laden vehicle from the house of Dua Khan and 1 red colour Double Cabin vehicle was also blown up. During exchange of fire with terrorists, 8 terrorists were killed.

c. Security forces conducted search and sweep operation in areas around Matta and Wanai. On a tip off by locals, 8 terrorists were engaged and killed.

d. Security forces conducted clearance and search operation at Balasur and apprehended two suspected terrorists Mian Afil Zada and Aziz Ahmed.

e. Security forces conducted clearance and search operation at Sambat in which terrorist Muhammad Raheem alias Bhai son of Gulpur Jan was apprehended.

3. Dir. Lashkar conducted house to house search and burnt 15 terrorists hideouts. During exchange of fire with terrorists 2 terrorists were killed and 20 were apprehended.

4. Buner.

An IED exploded near traffic police check post at Swari Bazaar, resultantly 2 policemen and 2 civilians were injured.

5. SWA.

Reportedly, parents of young boys, who were forcibly taken for suicide training by Baitullah Mehsood group, have demanded release of their siblings. However, Baitullah Mehsood has flatly refused to release them at any cost.

6. Security of IDPs Camps

a. 8-10 individuals impersonating as army officials searched luggage of IDPs at Fazal Kallay Camp, Mardan and took away gold ornaments, Rs. 25,000/- and other valuables on 18 June 2009.

b. In another incident, at Garhi Gohati, Swabi, unknown persons reportedly checked cards of IDPs on 23 Jun 09.

c. IDPs are requested to contact on following telephone numbers on any suspicion and help. (091-5287457, 0300-355177 or 0923-631494-6)

7. Relief Activities / Restoration Services

a. 16 trucks carrying food and relief items despatched for IDPs to Bunnu.


b. 1000 IDPs residing at Rawalpindi / Islamabad have been provided food items.

c. Electricity, PTCL, Mobile service and Sui Gas facilities have been made functional in Besham, Darmal, Shung and Darmang in Shangla District.

d. Most of the IDPs of Buner have returned to their villages.

---

KIT Over n Out

 

[courageneverdies]

Rawalpindi - July 1, 2009:

Update Operation (Rah e Rast) 1st July 2009

1. During last 24 hours, Security forces killed 5 terrorists while 3 were apprehended from Swat and Dir. 1 soldier embraced shahadat and 12 Soldiers including an Officer were injured. In Dir a number of terrorists were killed / injured by the local Lashkar while clearing Shatkas village. 22 personnel of local Lashkar also got injured.

2. Swat

a. Security forces cleared Shah Dheri and established link up at Langar. During exchange of fire with terrorists 5 soldiers were injured at Devolai village.

b. Security forces carried out search operation around Matta, and apprehended 3 terrorists, while an officer was injured in exchange of fire with terrorists.

c. Security forces consolidated their positions and searched suspected terrorists’ locations at Dangram, Kukarai Jambil and Meragai.

3. Dir.

Lashkar conducted house to house search inside the village Shatkas. More than half of the village is under control of Lashkar. Exchange of fire between laskhar and terrorists is taking place inside the village with trapped terrorists. Resultantly number of terrorists were killed and injured, whereas 22 Lashkaris were also injured.

4. Buner.

Security forces cleared area around Dewana Baba, the route to Shangla from Buner. 4 IEDs were neutralized and 4 houses of terrorists were also demolished.

5. Bunnu.

Terrorists fire raided security forces check post near Hindi Khel. Resultantly 1 soldier embraced shahadat and 6 soldiers were injured, while 5 terrorists were also killed.

6. Relief Activities / Restoration Services

a. 4 trucks carrying food and relief items were distributed amongst the dislocated people of Malakand.

b. Repair work on Takhtaband Bypass is in progress by Army Engineers.

c. 5,219 cash cards were distributed on 30 June 09.

7. Help Lines for IDPs

Location
Help Lines Number


Malakand
091-9213679
0342-9736756


Mingora
0646-9240352


Kabbal
0334-5802669


Zarakhela
0332-8165293


Kanju
0946-812857


Koza Bandai
0300-6283232


Barri Kot
0334-7401733
0343-9185289

---

KIT Over n Out

 

[Neo]

FATA militancy cost Pakistan $ 2,146m​

PESHAWAR: Militancy in the Tribal Areas has cost Pakistan around $2,146 million while the fighting has so far killed over 3,000 civilians, a government report said on Wednesday.

The report – “Cost of Conflict in FATA” – prepared by the Planning and Development Wing of the FATA Secretariat said the social cost of the militancy was far greater than the cost of infrastructure, economic and the subsequent environmental loss.

However, it said the cost of the military operation “is beyond the scope of this report and would be worked out separately by the concerned agencies”.

The report put the social cost of the conflict at $1,109 million, the cost to security and internal displacement at $572 million, the environmental cost at $188 million, the economic cost at $119 million and infrastructure losses at $103 million.

“Pakistan is suffering a series of overlapping crises due to the conflict in FATA... and is need of immediate humanitarian assistance,” the report said.

 

[courageneverdies]

Rawalpindi - July 2, 2009:

Update Operation (Rah e Rast) 2nd July 2009

1. During last 24 hours, Security forces killed 23 terrorists while 5 were apprehended from Swat and Dir.

2. Swat

a. Security forces during search operation at Kanju engaged terrorists hiding in the nullah and killed 5 terrorists.

b. Security forces engaged terrorists hide outs in area around Miana, Ahingro and Baba Ziarat. Resultantly 1 terrorist was killed and 2 were apprehended.

c. Security forces conducted clearance operation in Meragai area, and demolished 2 terrorists hide outs and recovered 8 rifles including 66 rounds, 4 pistols with 48 rounds and 1 binocular.

d. Security forces consolidated their positions around Shah Dheri, during exchange of fire with terrorists, 17 terrorists were killed.

3. Dir.

a. Armed Lashkar conducted house to house search near white mosque of Ghaziage at Upper Dir.

b. Security forces conducted search operation around Chakdara and apprehended 3 terrorists and recovered illegal FM Radio, 1 twelve Bore Rifle and 1 thirty Bore Pistol.

4. South Waziristan Agency.

Terrorists fired 3 Rockets from Mandan on Jandola Fort, no loss of life / damage reported.

5. Relief Activities / Restoration Services

a. 2 trucks carrying food and relief items distributed amongst the dislocated people of Malakand.

b. Repair work on Takhtaband Bypass is still in progress by Army Engineers.

c. Mobile phone service is functional in Alpuri and Shangla.

d. 2,682 cash cards distributed on 1 July 09.

---

KIT Over n Out

 

[ajpirzada]

Friday, July 03, 2009
1,400 Shangla youth apply for 800 police posts
By our correspondent

BISHAM: More than 1,400 candidates have applied for the 800 vacancies in the Special Police Force (SPF) in Shangla district while the application submission process would remain open as the aspiring youth were showing interest in the new induction. Sources said the filling of the new vacancies in the SPF in the district were part of the total 8,000 posts announced for the Malakand Division. District Police Officer (DPO) Guli Khan said a selection committee comprising the district coordination officer, two deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) with the district-level officers of security agencies had been constituted and it would be headed by the DPO.

briefs...

 

[Neo]

Pak army deployed on Afghan border​

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army deployed some of its troops along the Pak-Afghan border to an area opposite Afghanistan’s Helmand province, an Afghan Taliban stronghold where the United States launched a major offensive on Thursday. The deployment aims to block the Taliban’s attempt to enter Pakistan to escape the US onslaught. Thousands of US Marines stormed into a river valley in Helmand in an operation that seeks to break the Taliban’s hold on the opium-growing region and turn the tide of the war in Afghanistan. Helmand shares a 130-mile border with Balochistan and troops were being moved there to “challenge any crossing”, the chief spokesman of the Pakistani military said. Major General Athar Abbas said, “The area which is not under stress at the moment, we can pull out troops from those areas and beef up the area which is coming under effect.” reuters

 

[kidwaibhai]

here is a great report from AJE on the situation in swat.
http://http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=AlJazeeraEnglish&view=videos#play/uploads/4/F342DHI7v3g

 

[rizhussain44]

Sad news guys...

Deadly military crash in Pakistan
Up to 26 Pakistani security personnel are feared dead after an army transport helicopter crashed in the tribal region of Orakzai, military officials say.

Maj Gen Athar Abbas told the BBC the helicopter crashed on the border of the Khyber and Orakzai tribal region.

The cause of the crash is unclear, although officials said the most likely explanation was a technical failure.

The crash comes as a suspected US drone strike in South Waziristan killed at least 10 militants, officials said.

The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Islamabad says it is understood the MI-17 helicopter had been flying back to Peshawar from the northern tribal regions.

When the helicopter came down, it was fired upon by militants, according to officials.

Troops were then sent in and exchanged fire with the insurgents.

The north-west of Pakistan is currently the scene of heavy fighting between the Pakistani army and Taliban militants.

Unnamed intelligence officials said the drone attack in South Waziristan had targeted a militant training facility.

The region - on the Afghan border - is controlled by Pakistan's most senior Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

Link: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8133517.stm

 

[Xeric]

Gulfnews: Government plans phased return home for displaced people

Government plans phased return home for displaced people

By Fasihur Rehman Khan, Correspondent
Published: July 03, 2009, 23:26

Islamabad: The Internally Displaced People (IDPs) of Swat and Malakand regions will start returning to their homes in a week.

The whole process will take one month to complete, officials of the Special Support Group established by the Pakistani government say.

The officials however said the exact date of the IDPs return will be announced by the Frontier province government soon.

Buner district IDPs will be returning in the first phase, followed by Dir people and Swat valley people will return to their homes in the third phase.

The Pakistani government has already announced that the IDP return process will be carried out by the country's army which is already in the process of clearing Swat of militants.

Around 3 million IDPs from Swat and adjacent areas poured into adjoining districts of NWFP at the beginning of May as the military operation started. Most of these are living in adverse conditions and scorching heat in makeshift camps in Mardan, Charsada, Swabi and Peshawar areas of the province.

Meanwhile, the government has also started distributing monetary compensations to IDPs. In Charsada district nearly 13,000 affected families were given Rs340 million (Dh28 million), Rs25,000 for each family.

This monetary compensation is distributed through bank cards made especially for IDPs in their refugee camps. The Pakistani government is planning to distribute Rs6.7 billion in the first phase.

 

[courageneverdies]

Rawalpindi - July 3, 2009:

Update Operation (Rah e Rast) 3rd July 2009

1. During last 24 hours, one soldier was injured while 13 terrorists were killed including Commander Naeem Ullah while 24 were apprehended alongwith lot of arms, ammunition and equipment from Swat and Dir.

2. Swat

a. Security forces conducted house to house search operation at Kabbal and Akun Kalle and recovered 3 rifles, 2 pistols, 1 communication set and 30 mobile phone SIMs and ammunition of various calibres.

b. During search operation at Zara Khella security forces recovered 16 rifles, 2 IEDs, 2 pistols and safety fuses/detonators and ammunitions of various calibers.

c. Security forces conducted search operation in areas around Rangeela and Dadhra. 1 soldier was injured while defusing IED.

d. During search operation at Gokdara and Tandodag areas, 2 terrorists were killed in exchange of fire. 2 SMGs and cache of arms and ammunitions was also recovered.

e. Security forces carried out search operation at terrorists hide outs at Nawakilli and Mingora and recovered 3 single cabins, 10 propaganda cassettes, 1 tape recorder, 1 radio, 200 sand bags, stamps and letter pads of TTP and computer accessories.

f. Security forces conducted search operation near Shah Daheri, area, during exchange of fire with terrorists 10 were killed and 20 terrorists were injured. The house of terrorist Shamso was destroyed. Security forces also recovered 2 IEDs, 3 misfired rounds of 81 mortars, 10 liters acid, 1 rifle and an Under Ground Tunnel.

3. Dir

a. Armed Lashkar conducted house to house search at Aurghar, Adinzai and Ghaziage. During exchange of fire with terrorists 4 persons (Lashkar) embraced shahadat and 2 were injured, while 4 terrorists were apprehended and Commander Naeem Ullah was killed.

b. Terrorists demolished PTCL exchange at Zinda Darra, Lower Dir.

4. Relief Activities

a. Rations were distributed in 600 off camp IDP families of Nowshera District. Details are as under:-

(1) Khesghi Bala - 31 x families

(2) Khesghi Payan - 110 x families

(3) Pir Pai - 59 x families

(4) Azakhail Payan - 91 x families

(5) Pabbi - 101 x families

(6) Khan Shair Garhi - 60 x families

(7) Chowki Mumraiz - 106 x families

(8) Balu - 42 x families

b. So far Army has donated 1790 tons of rations for distribuiton amongst the IDPs of Malakand Division.

c. 65,702 cash cards were distributed and Rs. 921.3 million have been drawn by the IDPs.

d. 6 Vocational training / have commenced at Jallozai camp.

e. WFP has started its operation in Bajaur from 30 June 09.

f. Food distributions hub at Abbottabad has been established. It has started delivery food items to 655 registered IDP families out of 872.

g. WFP is setting up its ‘Food Hub’ at Buner. It will start functioning by 4 July. It will deliver rations to approx 3000 returning families for 6 months.

---

KIT Over n Out

 

[Xeric]

Old news but here's the video:

 

[Xeric]

Relief cards issued to 70,000 affected families | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

Relief cards issued to 70,000 affected families

Submitted 8 hrs 29 mins ago

Field Commander of the Special Support Group Brig. Badr-uz-Zaman has said that relief cards have been issued to70, 000 out of total 2, 73,000 families affected in the Malakand operation. Talking to media at Gurdwara Panja Sahib after distributing relief cards among 220 Sikh families here on Saturday, Brig. Badr-uz-Zaman said the affected families have drawn Rs 1.04 billion through the relief cards. He said water, power and other civic amenities have been provided in Buner and return of the affected Sikh families to the area will begin from July 10. Chairman NADRA Ali Arshad Hakeem informed the media that the first phase of the registration has been completed in which 2,71,000 families have been registered.

 

[Owais]

Fazlullah’s close aide killed in Swat

Updated at: 1240 PST, Sunday, July 05, 2009
Fazlullah’s close aide killed in Swat SWAT: A close aide of militant commander Fazlullah has been killed during Swat operation, Geo News reported Sunday.

The security sources said Ehsan alias Abu Jandal who was the close aide of Fazlullah has been killed as the security forces spread the action to Qambar area of Swat.

The security forces faced tough resistance from the extremists for some days in Qambar. However, the security forces bombarded the area, killing Abu Jandal.

Abu Jandal has been buried in suburban area of Mingora.

 

[Xeric]

Swat Operation Likely To End in Few Days: Pakistan Army

Swat Operation Likely To End in Few Days: Pakistan Army

The Pakistani army announced on Monday that the military offensive against the militants in Swat valley in northwest Pakistan will be completed in a few days as most of the area has been cleared of the terrorists. The security forces had launched major operation in Swat valley against Fazaullah-led militants early May. The service said that over 1,590 militants have been killed. Pakistan army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told a news conference that command structure of the militants has been totally dismantled, their training centers discovered and destroyed, their recruits either killed or driven away and ammunition dumps destroyed. He said the security forces have killed 18 terrorists in Swat and North Waziristan tribal agency and also recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition during the last 24 hours.