The Battle for Bajaur - PA seizes control

[GUNNER]

Security forces have struck militant hideouts in Bajaur Agency, killing thirty-six militants and wounding several others. 10 security personnel were also martyred in the clashes.

Five of these militants were killed when helicopter gunships targeted militant's sanctuaries in Ghandi and Massir area.

Heavy artillery was used in the attack by security forces. Several hideouts including a training centre were also destroyed.

Clashes also took place in Khar where curfew was imposed since morning.

Eleven militants have been arrested and a large cache of arms and ammunitions have also been recovered in the operation.

 

[Creder]

come n get some u bast@rds

New Pakistan action kills '38 militants in Bajaur'

(AFP) – 6 hours ago

KHAR, Pakistan — Pakistani attack helicopters and heavy artillery on Wednesday killed 38 militants in a tribal district on the Afghan border where commanders had said the Taliban were purged, officials said.

The fierce fighting also left 10 paramilitary soldiers dead, they said.

Pakistani troops have been fighting in Bajaur since August 2008, trying to smash Taliban and Al-Qaeda hideouts, but there are indications that militants are trying to make yet another comeback.

Commanders claimed victory in February 2009 but violence returned when the military switched attention to fighting the Taliban in South Waziristan and Swat, elsewhere in the northwest.

Troops mounted another offensive in Bajaur earlier this year and declared the terrain again free of Taliban in March.

But Wednesday, troops swung into action in Ghaundu and Samsai villages about 14 kilometres (nine miles) southwest of Khar, the main town in Bajaur.

Local administration official Tahir Khan said helicopter gunships and long range artillery opened fire following intelligence reports that some Taliban militants had again infiltrated from neighbouring Mohmand district.

"At least 38 militants were killed and 10 soldiers were martyred," Bajaur administration chief Zakir Hussain Afridi told reporters as he showed 18 bodies of militants in the presence of local forces commanders.

The security forces destroyed two Taliban hideouts and arrested 23 militants during the clashes, he added.

Officials said Taliban had issued pamphlets warning their comrades not to surrender or accept government job offers.

Posters have also been pasted in markets and at the gates to mosques, local administration chief Adalat Khan told AFP.

"The move appears to be a Taliban effort to terrorise people and say they are still present in the area," he said.

Local residents quoted the Pahstu-language poster as warning: "We would ask people, who fell prey to government propaganda, to repent for their sin, otherwise we will take action against them."

The government fixed June 30 as a deadline for militants to surrender their arms in return for jobs on the local police force, officials said.

Failure to surrender would see their homes destroyed, they added.

Bajaur was also the scene of a 2006 US drone strike that targeted but missed Al-Qaeda number two Ayman Al-Zawahiri.

Under US pressure, Pakistan has significantly stepped up operations against militants in its northwest and tribal belt, which Washington has branded an Al-Qaeda headquarters and the most dangerous region on Earth.

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

it was clearly a very costly operation in which a LOT of resistance was encountered. 10 troops is 10 MORE families without loved ones --perhaps bread-winners too.




RIP to all our fallen troops. Their faces, their names are never forgotten.


Every single Pakistani (politician, civilian, military -active/retired) owes it to them

 

[ejaz007]

10 soldiers, 38 Taliban killed in Bajaur Agency

KHAR: Security forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery killed 38 in attacks on Taliban hideouts in Bajaur Agency, security officials said. Local administration sources told Daily Times that 10 soldiers were also killed in clashes with the Taliban. They said security forces surrounded the Samsai area in Khar and started a massive operation against the Taliban there. Local administration officials said helicopter gunships and long-range artillery opened fire after security forces received reports that Taliban had infiltrated the area from the neighbouring Mohmand district. The officials said Taliban had issued pamphlets warning their comrades not to surrender or accept government job offers. Posters have also been pasted in markets and at the gates to mosques, local administration chief Adalat Khan said. hasbanullah khan

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[air marshal]

Thirty-eight militants killed in Bajaur clash
By Anwarullah Khan
Thursday, 17 Jun, 2010

KHAR: Thirty-eight militants and 10 security personnel were killed in clashes in Bajaur Agency after the government launched a fresh operation on Wednesday.

The troops, backed by tanks, artillery and helicopter gunships, advanced on militant lairs in Ghuandu and Samsamai areas, 14km from the agency’s headquarters, after receiving intelligence that top Taliban commanders were in conclave after stealthily crossing over from the neighbouring Mohmand Agency.

The officials said helicopter gunships and long-range artillery were used to soften up the militants. Thirty eight of them were killed, 11 others wounded and 23 arrested during the fighting.

A number of hideouts were destroyed, the officials added.

They also admitted that 10 security personnel, including FC and army men, had lost their lives in the fighting.

The meeting, sources said, was called to regroup scattered militant groups. Other reports said the militants were working on plans to resume attacks on security posts in the tribal region.

The clash erupted when security personnel started moving to forward positions in Ghuandu and Samsamai areas to in order to pre-empt the reported gathering of militants.

Officials admitted that security forces faced stiff resistance from the militants. However, the forces ultimately succeeded in clearing the area of Taliban, officials said.

According to AFP, 50 security personnel went missing after Taliban stormed a checkpoint. But local officials refused to comment on the report.

The security forces had declared in February last year that Bajaur had been made a militant-free region, asserting that they had fled either to Afghanistan or to other tribal agencies.

But intelligence reports had alerted the government to the resurfacing of militants in a region that was once a stronghold of TTP’s Maulana Faqir Mohammad.

On Tuesday, suspected Taliban plastered walls with posters threatening locals with dire consequences if they did not apologise for their sins.

The posters read: “Those local people who had been misguided by the government propaganda, must seek apology for their sins. Otherwise they should get ready for dire consequences as militants are coming back soon.” However, local officials dismissed the threat as a desperate attempt to terrify the populace.

A large number of militants have so far laid down arms and surrendered to security forces after the government set a June 30 deadline. The government has warned that it will not hesitate to expel relatives of wanted militants from the region and confiscate their moveable and immovable properties in case of non-compliance.

DAWN.COM | Front Page | 38 militants, 10 security personnel killed: Operation in Bajaur triggers clashes

 

[Javed3]

Victory, resurface, defeat, victory, resurface, defeat ... the cycle goes on.

 

[Javed3]

"" people are naiive if they think this is an easy war. I regretfully say that realistically, this is going to be a long war, it will take time. ""

In reality this is a self created phony war, the sole aim being to score some brownie points with the Americans and to reaffirm the lunatic notion that we are considered "allies". No true boot ally or NATO member has been tasked with waging war on its own soil, we are the only volunteers.

 

[fawwaxs]

Thirty-eight militants killed in Bajaur clash

KHAR: Thirty-eight militants and 10 security personnel were killed in clashes in Bajaur Agency after the government launched a fresh operation on Wednesday.

The troops, backed by tanks, artillery and helicopter gunships, advanced on militant lairs in Ghuandu and Samsamai areas, 14km from the agency’s headquarters, after receiving intelligence that top Taliban commanders were in conclave after stealthily crossing over from the neighbouring Mohmand Agency.

The officials said helicopter gunships and long-range artillery were used to soften up the militants. Thirty eight of them were killed, 11 others wounded and 23 arrested during the fighting.

A number of hideouts were destroyed, the officials added.

They also admitted that 10 security personnel, including FC and army men, had lost their lives in the fighting.

The meeting, sources said, was called to regroup scattered militant groups. Other reports said the militants were working on plans to resume attacks on security posts in the tribal region.

The clash erupted when security personnel started moving to forward positions in Ghuandu and Samsamai areas to in order to pre-empt the reported gathering of militants.

Officials admitted that security forces faced stiff resistance from the militants. However, the forces ultimately succeeded in clearing the area of Taliban, officials said.

According to AFP, 50 security personnel went missing after Taliban stormed a checkpoint. But local officials refused to comment on the report.

The security forces had declared in February last year that Bajaur had been made a militant-free region, asserting that they had fled either to Afghanistan or to other tribal agencies.

But intelligence reports had alerted the government to the resurfacing of militants in a region that was once a stronghold of TTP’s Maulana Faqir Mohammad.

On Tuesday, suspected Taliban plastered walls with posters threatening locals with dire consequences if they did not apologise for their sins.

The posters read: “Those local people who had been misguided by the government propaganda, must seek apology for their sins. Otherwise they should get ready for dire consequences as militants are coming back soon.” However, local officials dismissed the threat as a desperate attempt to terrify the populace.

A large number of militants have so far laid down arms and surrendered to security forces after the government set a June 30 deadline. The government has warned that it will not hesitate to expel relatives of wanted militants from the region and confiscate their moveable and immovable properties in case of non-compliance.

 

[fawwaxs]

 

[Janbaz]

Mohmand agency has to be next, i think. It's from there that TTP are attacking Orakzai and Bajaur and gain access to Afghanistan

 

[fatman17]

The Irish Times

Friday, June 18, 2010

A small victory for Pakistan in a war that is far from over

LETTER FROM BAJAUR: The region of Bajaur, formerly a no-go area, is being taken back and its cave refuges shut down, writes ROB CRILLY

THE SLIT in the rock wall is not much to look at: A two-foot wide gap that disappears into blackness. But passing through the nondescript entrance opens up a network of caves and a small insight into the world of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

This was once a subterranean hideout. The militants are gone now. Their bedding and a few clothes are all that is left, strewn on the rocky floor where they dropped it and ran – or were killed. One passageway extends from the back of the cave, rising up to a foxhole where fighters could rain bullets and mortars on the advancing Pakistani army.

It was here in December that their last stronghold in Bajaur – and reputedly the lair once of Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s deputy – was captured at the culmination of a two-year battle. It marks a small victory for the Pakistan army in a war that will continue for years.

The markets nearby are open again, but there are few shoppers among the rickety stalls selling Chinese radios, shoes and mangos.

Tribal elders say they desperately need schools to stop boys joining up with the Taliban. And, for now, the road through the provincial capital of Khar is under constant threat from suicide bombings.

As Pakistan comes under increasing pressure from the US to root out militants from their mountain lairs along the border with Afghanistan, the battle for Bajaur is the Islamabad government’s proof that it is serious about its role in the war on terror.

Dozens of caves have been found among the rocky crags. All but one are being filled in to prevent them falling back into enemy hands. The last is being kept as an alternative tourist attraction.

“It would have taken them years and years to build a cave like this,” said Lieut Col Asif Jamil, raising his hand above his head and running his fingers over the ridges in the rock ceiling, where handtools have left ridges and chip marks.

The floor drops a couple of feet from the entrance, plunging visitors into darkness. Thin Chinese-made mattresses, blankets and a pair of boots are piled somewhere underfoot. The floor slopes upwards towards the end of the 30ft main cavern, beneath an arched ceiling, which must be protected by tons of rock above.

“In this cave system 15 Taliban were killed,” said Lt Col Jamil as he turns tour guide with a hint of pride creeping into his voice. Among them, he added, were Afghans and Chechens.

The snow-capped mountains of Afghanistan are only a few miles distant and the region of Bajaur was no-go territory for troops from Islamabad.

Taliban footsoldiers could cross the border to engage Nato targets and return to Pakistan for tea.

That began to change two years ago. Operation Sherdil (Lionheart), led by the Bajaur Scouts, of which Lt Col Jamil is a senior commander, and joined by tribal militias or lashkars, began to eat into the Taliban territory.

Damadola – a deserted village about 10 miles from Khar – and its network of impenetrable caves was where the militants made their last stand.

The caverns offered protection when the US began its drone strikes. And the militants could retreat into their gloomy sanctuary when they heard Pakistani gunships approaching.

It took three days of heavy fighting before the caves fell at the end of last year. Now, the green and white Pakistani flag flies above them.

That tells only part of the story, however. The road from Khar to Damadola is a reminder of how tentative a hold the government has on the region. The journey twists through golden fields of wheat. Clouds of dust rise from brightly-painted threshing machines.

It could be an image of a rural idyll were it not for the soldiers of the Bajaur Scouts, armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades, posted every 50 yards on either side of the road.

Back in Khar, the threat was spelled out by the head of the scouts in a slick PowerPoint presentation. Col Nauman Saeed pointed to a smear of red on his map, labelled “miscreants” running along the border.

He had just returned from a battle that sent Taliban fighters scurrying into Afghanistan. And he was angry.

“When they crossed back they left their weapons here so Nato troops in Afghanistan could not fire on them. That’s my complaint,” he said. “They allowed them to escape scot free.”

The militants may have lost their caves but they have not quite gone away, is the message.

And Pakistan – often accused of turning a blind eye to the militants they once armed and used as a covert arm of foreign policy – is keen to deflect criticism and tell the world it is trying to do its bit.

 

[Janbaz]

Khar: Nine-year-old Jamil Khan earns about Rs20 (less than Dh1) a day by working at a niswar (tobacco) shop in Khar Bazaar in Bajaur Agency to support his family.

His father was killed late last year during the military operation against Taliban and he, being the eldest son in the family, is now responsible to earn the bread and butter. "I can't go to school because I have to work to earn a living," Khan said in Pashtu as he does not speak Urdu.

Though his father was not member of any militant group, his family became victims of the fighting and his house was destroyed. "I can work hard but there is nothing to do here," he said.

There are hundreds and thousands of other victims of the war against terrorism who have lost their source of livelihood as they do not have jobs and their homes, business and shops were destroyed in the fighting between Taliban and the army.

Gulf News encountered Khan at a busy market in Khar, the capital of Bajaur Agency, which was recaptured by the Pakistan military after what they say was the toughest fight in the area since the military offensive against Taliban was launched.

It took about two years to regain the complete control of the area since the military launched its operation ‘Sherdil' (lion heart) in Bajaur Agency in September 2008.

The last battle was fought in February this year in Bajaur's Damadola area, the headquarters of Taliban who were in complete control and were running the government with their own extreme faction of ‘Islamic Sharia' courts.

Some 150 soldiers lost their lives and more than 600 got injured while more than 1,800 militants were killed. The area is not complety secured but under strict control of the Frontier Constabulary.

Gulf News is the first newspaper from the Gulf and Middle East region to be given access to this recently secured Agency, once considered the hub of Taliban insurgency, in an embedded military tour.

The Agency is one of the seven tribal areas in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) belt bordering Afghanistan's Kunar province where former Soviet army were defeated.

"We have done our job and those who do not believe us should come and see it with their own eyes. Now, it is the job of the world in general and the US in particular to compensate the victims of war," said Colonel Nauman Saeed, who led army operations in Bajaur Agency during the last two years.

He landed in the Agency by chopper in 2008 to establish Pakistan government's writ at a time when Taliban were running a parallel government in the area and were in complete control.

Bombed houses, destroyed infrastructure, bullet-riddled walls, heavy army patrolling and Frontier constabulary and aerial patrolling by Cobra helicopters greeted us as we were airlifted from Islamabad to the Bajaur Scouts headquarters, hub of the military operational command in the Agency.

Major Mohammad Jahanzeb Akhtar, operational officer, gave us a guided tour of caves, trenches, tunnels and houses which were built by the Taliban in Damadola area which is just 25km from the Afghan border. "Even aerial bombing could not destroy these bunkers which were tactfully carved inside the mountains. We physically fought for four days and night to capture this place and that's what broke the back of the Taliban," he said.

Earlier, talking to Gulf News in his operational headquarters, Colonel Saeed called the Pakistani Taliban a band of thieves, dacoits and downtrodden people of society with a religious bent of mind. The miscreants, he said, grabbed the opportunity and are riding the wave which created the Afghan Taliban, who are well organised and fighting with a strategy against the ‘invaders' which he says is their legitimate right.

Colonel Saeed criticised the word "donations or aid" for the people whom he called "victims of war". He wanted the world to launch a development programme without wasting time to reinforce the military success.

"The world is under the wrong perception that we are seeking ‘donations'. No, we need compensation and not ‘alms' for the victims of wars because the world in general and the US in particular owes it to us," he said in a stern voice. He said that they (Pakistan) are asking for the cost of the war, compensation of losses, both material and psychological, that "our people who were innocent and were not part of this war" suffered only because they happened to be there during the offensive.

"Innocent children, girls, women, families, old people, who suffered in the war only because they happened to be there need better treatment otherwise they will have grievances and could become an easy target for use by the Taliban again. Don't repeat the mistake and leave them in the lurch the way you did when the Soviet war ended," Colonel Saeed warned world powers.

More than 6,000 houses in the Agency of 1.2 million people were destroyed and 27,000 families were displaced during the war. "We need to hurry and reactivate their livelihood and launch projects for education, health, power supply and create jobs to avoid these people falling into the Taliban trap again."

He said though the area is secure, the situation can never be normal until Afghanistan is normal. "There is a very uneasy calm now."

Location is strategic for militant groups

Bajaur was an important hub for the Taliban and other militants. Its location is very sensitive and strategic as it borders Afghanistan in Northwest and Malakand Division (Swat) in South East while Mohmand tribal agency lies to the South. Bajaur has easy access to Afghanistan's Kunar and Nuristan provinces through four passes and countless animal paths and footpaths through the mountains. Kunar is a hotspot of Taliban activity and is the site of some of the deadliest attacks on US and Nato troops in Afghanistan. Militants escaped Bajaur and have set up save havens in Afghanistan on boundaries with Pakistan and the Kunar River.

 

[air marshal]

22 Taliban surrender in Bajaur Agency
June 23, 2010

KHAR: Around 22 Taliban laid down their weapons and surrendered to security forces in the Bajaur Agency on Tuesday.

The Nawagai assistant political agent told Daily Times that the surrendered Taliban belonged to different areas of tehsil Mohmand including Makha, Gabrai, Meena, Kag, Landai, Bandari and Orzagai.

After the surrender, the insurgents expressed their loyalty to Pakistan and promised to help the security forces fight against terrorists.

Separately, security forces seized a large number of weapons including Russian manufactured kalashnikovs and during search operations in various parts of tehsil Mohmand.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Janbaz]

Four soldiers killed in Bajaur attack

KHAR: Four Pakistani soldiers were killed when Taliban militants ambushed an army patrol in the tribal district of Bajaur near the Afghan border on Monday, officials said.

Armed militants attacked the troops during a patrol in the border town of Kharaki, 25 kilometres (16 miles) north of the lawless region's main town Khar, local administration chief Mohammad Jamil told AFP.

“Four soldiers were killed in the attack,” which in turn triggered retaliation from the soldiers in which three militants were killed, he said.

A security official confirmed the attack, saying that more than a dozen militants had attacked the patrolling party. “The attackers were heavily armed,” he added.

Taliban militants fled Kharaki earlier this year when Pakistani troops dismantled their hideouts and training centres in an operation, officials said.

Pakistani troops have been fighting in Bajaur since August 2008, trying to smash Taliban and Al-Qaeda hideouts, but there are indications that militants are trying to make a comeback.

 

[M8R]

Time to test the Block 52's..