Operation Rah-e-Nijat (South Waziristan)

[TaimiKhan]

A terrible loss of brave men.

May their soles rest in peace and Allah give their families the courage to bear this loss.

 

[nightrider_saulat]

our boys have paid a big price for feature 5376
there blood has resulted a great victory for us

 

[Xeric]

Your sacrifices would never be forgotten comrades!!!

That's a promise!

 

[air marshal]

"To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return".

We would like to extend our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude. By God we are with you!

We Fight... Last Man... Last Bullet...!

 

[Aeri-Eye]

That's vey sad indeed.

We have lost yet another 15 soldiers..... how sad...May their souls rest in peace. May Allah(swt) forgive all their sins and award them a beautiful place in Jannat. Ameen. May Allah (swt) also give courage to their families to bear these losses.

Your sacrifices will never be forgotten. I salute PA!

 

[fatman17]

Pakistanis in the driver’s seat against Taliban on their soil’

* Gates says US confident of Pakistan’s nuclear arms’ safety
* Claims Al Qaeda helping Pakistani Taliban to destabilise govt

WASHINGTON: Calling Pakistan’s anti-militancy efforts over the last year “terrific”, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Pakistanis are in the driver’s seat in combating Taliban on their soil.

He said Pakistan would carry the fight forward at its own pace and in its own way.

In an interview with FOX News, Gates also reaffirmed Washington’s confidence in the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

“They’re going to go at their own pace and in their own way. We will help them as much as possible,” he remarked about Pakistan’s efforts on Tuesday.

“And I told them when I was out there a couple of weeks ago, that, ‘You know, we’re in this car together, but we recognise on your side of the border, you’re in the driver’s seat and you’ve got your foot on the accelerator’,” he added, referring to the country’s anti-Taliban efforts along the Pak-Afghan border.

“But I think there has been an improvement in coordination. And frankly, I think the Pakistanis have done a terrific job. They’ve lost a lot of people, at least 3,000 soldiers,” he told the channel, citing Islamabad’s successful actions against Taliban in Swat and South Waziristan regions.

Gates said Washington must reassure the country of a reliable long-term relationship to address complaints of past betrayals.

“We just have to have a long-term approach to Pakistan that reassures them that we are a long-time, reliable ally for Pakistan, we’re going to be there with them and for them going into the future. And in every aspect – politically, economically, and so on.”

Weapons: To a question on the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in the country, Gates reiterated his confidence, saying, “I would just echo what the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said. We’re comfortable with the security.”

Destabilise:Gates claimed that Al Qaeda, the Taliban in Pakistan, and the Taliban in Afghanistan are all working together and argued that the problem should be attacked as a whole.

“Al Qaeda is helping the Pakistani Taliban to destabilise the Pakistani government. There is evidence that Al Qaeda is helping them plan these attacks, the targeting, the training capabilities and so on.” app

 

[fatman17]

this is a big loss - were they 'ambushed' and there was a ensuing firefight!

 

[TaimiKhan]

this is a big loss - were they 'ambushed' and there was a ensuing firefight!

It seems so, either an ambush or a blast. As it said they were injured, and died a day or two later, meaning something serious happened.

As the report says they were going for a peak, and you know well Sir, how difficult it becomes when going upward towards a peak to capture it.

Terrible loss.

And today was reading a urdu newspaper, it was saying of 8 jawans martyred due to an avalanche in the Siachen sector also.

So these 3-4 days have brought some heavy losses with them.

 

[fatman17]

May Allah Grant them Jannat for their Sacrifices !

 

[S-2]

"...were they 'ambushed' and there was a ensuing firefight!"

Are you asking a question or stating what you believe or know to have happened?

My condolences to their families and friends. It is indeed a big loss and shows how vulnerable even well-trained soldiers whom are experienced can be in these battles.

God bless these men and may their souls rest in peace.

Thanks.

 

[fatman17]

The Death of Hakimullah Mehsud: Another Setback for the TTP

By Reza Jan

February 9, 2010

Hakimullah Mehsud’s death, when combined with recent TTP reverses in Orakzai, South Waziristan, Swat, and Bajaur, reveals the fragility of the TTP as a movement. The TTP’s failure to hold territory, maintain central leadership, and win mass appeal suggests that it may enter a ‘death spiral’ of anarchist violence that reduces its support and draws it even closer to al Qaeda and other militant Islamist groups in Pakistan.



CAUSE OF DEATH: DRONE

Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and successor to its founder, Beitullah Mehsud, is dead. According to news reports, three separate Taliban sources confirmed on Tuesday that Hakimullah Mehsud was dead.[1] According to Taliban sources in Orakzai, Hakimullah succumbed to wounds he suffered in a drone strike in January in the city of Multan while he was being transported to the southern city of Karachi for medical treatment. The Taliban’s official spokesman, Azam Tariq, has not yet issued a statement, however.[2]

The information from the Taliban admissions contradicts the bulk of previous rumors surrounding Hakimullah’s death. On Janurary 28, rumors began to re-emerge that Hakimullah succumbed to wounds suffered in an earlier drone strike. On January 31, Pakistani state television ran a story claiming thatHakimullah Mehsud had died earlier in the week at his father-in-law’s house in Mamuzai, Orakzai and was buried shortly after.[3] People who claimed to have attended his secretly-held funeral ‘confirmed’ his burial.[4] The TTP, through its spokesman, Azam Tariq, has continually maintained that Hakimullah is alive.[5]

Hakimullah Mehsud was targeted in a drone strike on January 14 in the Shaktoi region straddling the border between North Waziristan and the former TTP stronghold of South Waziristan. The attack hit a large gathering of militants and set off a wave of speculation that Hakimullah Mehsud had died in the strike. Hakimullah, however, released two separate audiotapes, one specifically mentioning the date on January 16, to prove that he was alive and well. The U.S. launched a second drone strike on Hakimullah in the Shaktoi region on Janaury 17.[6] It is still unclear which of the strikes caused the severe burns and mortal wounds that were eventually responsible for Hakimullah’s death.

As leader of the TTP Hakimullah Mehsud was responsible for the some of the most brutal and sustained violence carried out by the TTP since its founding and his organization was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in terrorist attacks in the latter part of 2009. Long a target of the Pakistani government, Hakimullah achieved high prominence for the U.S. after appearing in a video on January 9 next to Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, the Jordanian responsible for the suicide attack ten days earlier on a base in Khost, Afghanistan that killed seven CIA agents. Since the video’s release the number of drone attacks taking place in Pakistan and the number of attacks targeting Hakimullah, increased dramatically.[7] They appear to have hit their mark.



POTENTIAL SUCESSORS

Hakimullah’s succession in the TTP was a process reportedly fraught with infighting and dissent.[8] It is unlikely that that succession will be clear-cut this time either. A number of people serve as potential candidates for Hakimullah’s mantle.

The first is Wali-ur-Rehman, the second-in-command and treasurer of the TTP, and the head of the TTP in South Waziristan. Wali-ur-Rehman was the Hakimullah’s chief competitor for leadership in September 2009 and remains a strong contender now as well, but his influence has likely diminished somewhat with the loss of the TTP’s stronghold in South Waziristan and with the rise of other commanders within the group closer to Hakimullah.[9] He has nonetheless, played a central role in the planning of TTP attacks and will likely continue to be important regardless of the succession outcome.

Qari Hussain, Hakimullah’s cousin and confidant and the TTP’s trainer and commander of suicide bombers rose to great prominence in the TTP with Hakimullah at the helm. Hussain shares his cousin’s penchant for ruthlessness, unlike the more demure Rehman, and was reportedly a key strategic planner in many of the attacks the TTP carried out in the latter part of 2009.[10] There are rumors that Qari Hussain also died in the attack that mortally wounded Hakimullah.[11] If the rumors are true, the TTP has lost another charismatic and dangerous member; if false, Qari Hussain is sure to continue playing a central role in the movement’s operations and is one of the strongest candidates for leadership.

The TTP has already reportedly appointed Maulana Noor Jamal, alias Maulana Toofan, as the group’s “interim leader.”[12] Maulana Toofan, formerly the leader of a local madrassa in Orakzai, was appointed as a local Taliban commander in Kurram and later Orakzai and was reportedly close to Hakimullah Mehsud. Toofan, too, commands a reputation for ruthlessness. One Kurram resident fleeing Toofan’s wrath said of him “he kills humans like one will kill chickens.”[13]

Other names discussed as potential successors include Noor Saeed and Azmatullah Mehsud from South Waziristan, Tariq Afridi from Darra Adam Khel and Saeed Khan Mamozai of Orakzai.[14]



THE MOVEMENT IS FRAGILE

Toofan’s selection as interim leader of the TTP reveals a new factor complicating leadership within the TTP. To-date, the vast majority of the TTP’s senior leadership consisted of Mehsuds from South Waziristan.[15] Following their flight to other parts of the FATA as a result of Operation Rah-e-Nijat, many of the TTP’s fighters and leaders are being hosted by the local TTP faction in Orakzai.[16] While Toofan’s appointment as interim leader, if true, is likely a temporary measure, it reflects an increasing importance of the Orakzai TTP who are, no doubt, going to make the most of this opportunity to consolidate their newly significant position within the franchise.[17] Whether the next TTP leader will be able to handle this new dynamic delicately enough to maintain unity within the group will be a key determinant of its continued survival and potency.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has, as a movement, failed. Since the death of its founder, Beitullah Mehsud, and his successor, Hakimullah, the movement has been unable to maintain its territorial gains, reverse the losses of its strongholds, or regain any strategic sense of purpose.

This is not to imply that the movement is no longer dangerous; the TTP is still capable of extreme brutality. Under Hakimullah the TTP carried out dozens of high-impact, mass-casualty attacks against both soft and hard targets across the country, even during the largest military assault on its stronghold in the history of the war in the northwest.[18] The TTP was still, however, unable to offer anything more than anarchist violence.

With the passing of Hakimullah it seems even less likely that the TTP will be able to escape this “death spiral” of violence.[19] Unlike its Afghan counterpart, the Pakistani Taliban has no viable political alternative to offer its constituents. Its actions have thoroughly alienated both the unfortunate hosts among whom it hides and the Pakistani public at large.[20]



CONCLUSION

The TTP is currently in an extremely precarious position.[21] It has suffered reversals in Bajaur and Swat, lost its home base in South Waziristan, found its suicide attack campaign in the northwest disrupted due to military actions in Orakzai, is reportedly having difficulty even being able to meet and plan, and lost two of its leaders in the span of six months.[22] All of this means the movement is likely very fragile. Taliban sources have conceded that their leadership losses are due to penetration by spies; any situation where paranoia leads the TTP to begin suspecting and purging its own members will create a huge drain on unity and morale.[23] The TTP will also have to deal with yet another succession process, and the group is starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel as far as clever, strategic minded and charismatic leaders go.

The sapping of the TTP ‘brain trust’ means that its survival will likely become increasingly contingent upon a symbiotic if not parasitic reliance upon allies such as Al Qaeda or militant groups based in the Punjab. The TTP reportedly became increasingly close to Al Qaeda under Hakimullah Mehsud and Al Qaeda is likely to exploit any kind of leadership vacuum within the group.[24] Whoever succeeds Hakimullah will have a mountainous task ahead of him in trying to rally the movement, prevent potential disputes from rising within the traditional and emergent power blocs of the TTP, and regain lost momentum.

For now, the Pakistanis and Americans may jointly rejoice. The death of Hakimullah is a body blow to the Pakistani Taliban. While killing one man will not kill the TTP, repeatedly killing the group’s leadership, interdicting its activities, capturing its territory, and sowing discord amongst its members may slowly asphyxiate it.

 

[fatman17]

Pakistan Security Brief - February 10, 2010

Interior Minister comments on Hakimullah Mehsud’s death; suicide bomb in Khyber kills 19; army helicopter crashes, rescue operation ambushed in Khyber; security forces arrest five militants in Bajaur; explosion in Hangu injures two; US and Pakistan prepare for meeting on Afghanistan; Pakistani military holds conference of its corps commanders.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik has stated that he has seen ‘credible evidence’ that Hakimullah Mehsud is dead but has so far refused to officially confirm the TTP leader’s death. Malik also stated that an investigation is underway to evaluate rumors that Qari Hussain, the TTP’s head trainer of suicide bombers and a potential successor, may be dead as well. Maulvi Noor Jamal, a TTP commander and potential successor, has professed that Mehsud is still alive and has denied reports that he is currently the interim leader of the TTP.[1]

At least 19 people have been killed following a suicide bomb attack on a tribal police vehicle in Khyber Agency. The police were on a routine patrol travelling along a highway in the Wazirdand area when their vehicle was rammed by another car packed with explosives, destroying both vehicles and killing 11 police officers. Three other vehicles were damaged in the explosion and eight civilians have been counted among the dead so far.[2]

An army brigadier was killed and two other officers were injured in a militant ambush during a rescue operation of an army Cobra helicopter that crashed in the Tirah valley of Khyber Agency. The Cobra was reportedly targeting militant hideouts in the region when it crashed for reasons which are currently unknown. The crew’s status has also not yet been ascertained.[3]

Security forces conducted search operations today in the Mamond and Salarzai sub-districts of Bajaur Agency, arresting five militants and demolishing the homes of six others, including a militant commander. The tribal council at Wara Mamond praised the security forces for their actions and promised reprimand for individuals who would give aid to militants.[4]

A US national security team has arrived in Islamabad for a series of meetings with Pakistani officials to discuss security and stability in Afghanistan. National security adviser, General James Jones, is expected to focus the talks on the new US strategy for Afghanistan, which will likely include urging Pakistan to expand its military operations into North Waziristan, home of the Haqqani network and other Taliban elements operating in Afghanistan. Pakistan has been reluctant to pursue an operation in North Waziristan but has expressed its interest in pursuing a wider role in determining Afghanistan’s future.[6]

The Corps Commanders’ Conference was held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi today to comprehensively evaluate both current and emerging threats to Pakistan’s security. The meeting will also include a briefing and analysis of the recently concluded Azm-i-Nau II war game.[7]

 

[Rank]

NATO Stand for

"No Action Talk Only"

 

[air marshal]

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Operation Rah-e-Nijat objectives achieved: COAS

LAHORE: The key objectives of the military operation in South Waziristan have been achieved and most of the high profile terrorists have been wiped out from the area, a private TV channel quoted Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani as saying on Monday. Addressing troops and officers during his visit to South Waziristan, Kayani said that massive development work would commence in the area soon so that internally displaced people (IDPs) could live comfortably when they return home. While interacting with the tribesmen, the COAS thanked them for their resolve and support and attributed the success of the military operations to the will and determination of the people of Waziristan. Local military commanders briefed Kayani about the success of the operation and the killings of high profile Taliban and the destruction of their hideouts. daily times monitor
Operation Rah-e-Nijat objectives achieved: COAS