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Operation Rah-e-Rast (Swat)

Slides: yes Pakistan should do more as we are their humble subcontractors! It is our "responsibility" to relieve the pressure on the Americans; and to stop any Taliban moving to Afghanistan.
You might be a subcontractor to the taliban. Do they pay you in goats? The Pakistan army is fighting for Pakistan.
 
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I was watching a video footage of Swat the other day, the place seems to be very calm, but there is a lot of presence of soldiers, but rightfully so. The Islamabad type police was also there so its good to see.

It will take time, but it will definitely be hard for the people to adjust there again.


Ya, there is at least a divisional level force in swat which would be staying there for sometime.

Sir, that's not Islamabad type police, those are traffic police guys, their uniform resembles the Islamabad police.
 
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Pakistan stretched thin for Mehsud battle

Sunday, 26 Jul, 2009 | 10:06 AM PST |

ISLAMABAD: Consolidating military gains in Swat and worries about Taliban spillover from south Afghanistan are clouding Pakistan's offensive against the country's most wanted warlord, analysts say.

In mid-June, the military said it had received orders and was preparing to launch an offensive against Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud and his network in the South Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan.

Troops have sealed off much of the eastern border between South Waziristan and areas under government control, and carried out air raids in what the military calls softening up for a full-scale ground operation.

Pakistan says it has eliminated the Taliban in a military offensive launched last April in northwestern districts Buner, Dir and Swat, which rendered nearly two million people displaced.

But deadly skirmishes continue, raising fears that the Taliban escaped into the mountains and might return, as after previous offensives.

Signs of battle were visible on the road winding up to Swat at the weekend. South of the valley at Batkhela, two bodies were dumped by the road. Residents said they were Taliban killed by the army.

Another body lay in the Swat town of Marghazar. Residents identified him as a local Taliban commander who was captured and killed as a warning.

‘The army has to consolidate Swat and help maintain security so that IDPs (internally displaced persons) return without any fear that the Taliban would come back,’ former interior minister Hamid Nawaz told AFP.

‘My assessment is that the army will remain in Swat until the civilian set-up is also consolidated and an intelligence network is in place,’ added Nawaz, who is also a retired lieutenant general.

Last week US regional envoy Richard Holbrooke heard concerns in Pakistan that 4,000 US Marines operating further south in Afghanistan will push Taliban across the border and inflame in insurgency in Baluchistan.

When the US airborne assault began, Pakistan said it redeployed troops along the Afghan border to stop Taliban fighters fleeing into its southwest, ripped apart by Islamist, sectarian and regional violence.

‘There can be a spillover of the Helmand operation into Pakistan and the military has to guard the border as well,’ said Nawaz.

‘But in South Waziristan, firefights continue and strikes are being carried out against militants with a view to cause maximum damage.’

Mehsud has two prices on his head — five million dollars from the United States, which considers him a key al-Qaeda facilitator, and 615,000 dollars from the Pakistani government.

Suspected US missiles and Pakistani air strikes target his strongholds but so far he has escaped harm.

‘Baitullah Mehsud is one of the most dangerous and odious people in the entire region,’ said Holbrooke, but added he thought a Waziristan offensive had been delayed because of operations in Swat.

‘The highest priority right now has to be to secure the areas in Swat and Buner as the refugees return...So maybe they're delaying their offensive.’

The Taliban denies claims that Mullah Fazlullah, architect of the Swat uprising, was wounded and threatened renewed war.

‘Northern Swat is still insecure and the leadership, Fazlullah, is not captured, so there's a long way to go there,’ recognised Holbrooke.

He said Pakistan was busy coordinating its military activities with Nato troops in Afghanistan, where the United States was determined not to repeat mistakes of the past when Taliban escaped.

Defence analyst Talat Masood said ‘this could be the consideration,’ but argued the army would continue targeted air strikes against Mehsud's network, concentrated on perfect guerrilla terrain.

‘They have always been hesitant to launch a full-scale operation in South Waziristan, because the conditions there are very different than Swat,’ Masood said.

‘They would continue with limited targeted action.’

Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas ruled out any question that Waziristan was on the back burner.

‘Military operations are of different forms...the areas around South Waziristan are sealed and aerial targeting is being done,’ Abbas said.

‘We will decide upon the ground offensive at an appropriate time. We do not start operations because someone or media reports say so,’ he said
 
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Well, i won't be agreeing to the possibility of a peace deal, other factors apart, my home town is the staging base for the operations specially in North Wazirstan & also South Waziristan, and the built up of army that has taken place so far is huge, even local people are astonished to the military hardware & troops that have been moved up till now and still a lot of movement is taking place. Such events were not witnessed before in any of the operations.

Peace deal is not possible, army has been filled with so much hatred for these talibans that i guess only the military guys will know, and this time army is fully poised to crush them as they have tried their level best to destabilize pakistan, the recent reports of a planning of an attack on any nuclear installation will add another concern to the Pakistani Govt & Military Establishment, so they shouldn't take any chances to leave these murderers alone and do a peace deal.

very interesting !!!

one staging area is wana. can u name others!
 
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Nato gunship helicopters violate Pakistani territory | Army on alert in North Waziristan



Our Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani army has been put on high alert across its western border, said well-placed military sources.

According to the sources, the US and Nato's International Security Assistance Forces started movement along the Pak-Afghan border near North Waziristan Agency. They said that the troops there are being supported by heavy artillery, tanks and helicopters. Eyewitnesses have reported that the American jet planes can also be seen hovering across the border in the Afghan side. There are reports that the troops are being supported by about 80 military vehicles and more troops are getting ready to march towards the Pak-Afghan border from Afghan provinces of Khost and Paktika.

This is the first time that such a huge deployment of allied forces across the border is reported. The tribes, on both sides of the border are reported to be in sever anger and anxiety.

In the past also, there had been reports of severe clashes between Pakistani and allied forces on the border.

According to reports, NATO gunship helicopters violated Pakistan's airspace by intruding into Landi Kotal area near its border with Afghanistan.

The helicopters went back after remaining in Pakistan's airspace for sometime. The official sources confirmed the incident, saying the helicopters remained in Pakistan's airspace for about five minutes. According to eyewitnesses, two helicopters intruded into Pakistan on Saturday morning and hovered for some time in the air.
 
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Teenage suicide bombers escaped from training camp​

Pakistani army soldiers escort alleged teenage suicide bombers in training to present to media representatives in Mingora on July 26, 2009. Security personell in the Swat district of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) have arrested four young suspected suicide bombers who escaped from a training camp along with an non-governmental organisation worker who had been held in the camp.





Bastards. They are using innocent & poor childern for their heinous crimes. :angry:
 
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http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=101684&sectionid=351020401

Pakistan army says jets pounded militant sites

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:38:56 GMT
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The Pakistani army says its fighter jets have pounded a number of militant positions in the restive northwest, killing at least thirteen pro-Taliban insurgents.

The bombardment --part of the Pakistani army's search and clearance operation to hunt down militants in the region-- took place late Saturday in Lower Dir region.

Security officials say 15 militant hideouts were destroyed during the airstrike, adding that the death toll is expected to rise since more than 140 militants were held up in the area at the time of the attack.

The army opened several fronts against the Taliban in the northwestern districts to flush out the militants from the insurgency-stricken regions in May after rebels broke a peace deal and pushed toward the capital.

While intermittent clashes continue in the region, the army says it is now safe for some two million people displaced to return to their homes as the area has been cleared of militants.

The military claims to have killed nearly 1,800 militants since it launched the anti-militant operation in the Swat Valley and its adjoining districts.
 
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An expression of the sophistication of Pakistani information Operations


Disguised Taliban may be getting IDP funds’

LAHORE: The chief of the government’s Special Support Group, Gen Nadeem Ahmad has made a “stunning and frightening admission: he may well be handing over money to Taliban posing as IDPs, according to CNN.

Gen Nadeem’s made the comment at a crowded relief camp outside Peshawar amid plans to hand out Rs 4 billion to IDPs. People queue for hours to have their identities checked and receive the money. But CNN says the painstaking and cautious process is not foolproof. “It is certain that some of those receiving the money are Taliban, ready to return home and wreak havoc,” says the network. “This is the complex problem facing Gen Nadeem and others fighting an enemy they often cannot see.” daily times monitor
 
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Pakistan helps U.S. search for captured soldier - Los Angeles Times

As ties improve between the nations, Islamabad has shared intelligence on Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured by Taliban militants in Afghanistan.

Reporting from Pul-E-Charkhi, Afghanistan -- Intelligence sharing and military cooperation have begun to increase between Pakistan and the United States, according to American officials, who say their efforts to cultivate key leaders in Islamabad may be beginning to pay dividends.

Pakistan, they say, has stepped up its cooperation along its border with Afghanistan for the first time in recent years, informing Afghanistan and the U.S. about operations it is conducting and seeking a coordinated response to trap Islamist militants.

Cleric who negotiated Taliban-Pakistan peace deal is arrested
Pakistani officials have also been providing intelligence help in the search for a U.S. soldier captured by Taliban militants in eastern Afghanistan. The United States, meanwhile, has been sharing information with Pakistani officials on the results of American military drone flights aimed at collecting intelligence over insurgent-heavy areas of their country.

"The cooperation is the best I have ever seen it, and I have seen a lot," said a high-ranking U.S. government official.

The moves come at a time when the Pakistani military has increased its efforts against local insurgents, and gained confidence with a series of successful operations.

Islamabad had long been reluctant to turn its attention from rival India to deal with the threat of Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in districts near the border with Afghanistan. But this year, the army began a three-month counterinsurgency campaign in the Swat Valley, less than 100 miles from the Pakistani capital, aimed at driving out Taliban militants who had taken over the area.

"The Pakistanis have, for the last three months, been fighting hard," a senior American defense official said. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity when discussing sensitive intelligence-sharing matters.

Across the border, Army Col. Kevin Fagedes, who oversees training of Afghan security forces, has said cooperation is increasing in the three eastern border provinces where he works. Previously, Fagedes said, the Pakistanis would make contact with Afghan forces or American trainers only after an incident had occurred, to discuss the aftermath. But three times in recent weeks, they have discussed and coordinated operations in advance, he said, asking Afghan forces to prevent militants from escaping.

"I see great progress coming in the next six months," Fagedes said. "The spirit of cooperation is out there. The Pakistanis have had very good success at what they are doing. . . . Everyone is starting to consider what is occurring on the other side of the border when they do operations."

Much of the increased cooperation may be due to a much broader acceptance among the Pakistani public that militants represent a serious threat to the country. The military's recent success in Swat has also helped.

Still, the relationship between Washington and Islamabad remains tricky. U.S. officials are continuing to gently press Pakistan to accept more American trainers to improve their counterinsurgency operations.

And though intelligence sharing between Islamabad and Washington may be improving, political relations remain complex and fragile. Pakistani leaders continue to publicly denounce U.S. unmanned drone attacks on militant targets in the country's tribal areas, in part because the attacks remain extremely unpopular with the Pakistani public. The attacks have killed suspected militants, but they have also caused civilian casualties, angering those who already view the missions as violations of their country's sovereignty.

Moreover, some Pakistani leaders have expressed concerns about the latest U.S. offensive in Afghanistan's Helmand province. Islamabad believes the American push into Helmand will force Taliban militants into Pakistan, particularly Baluchistan province, where Pakistani authorities are struggling to suppress a separatist movement.

U.S. officials have also pushed for the Pakistani army to take on Baitullah Mahsud, a militant commander believed responsible for suicide attacks across Pakistan.

Although the Pakistani army has not begun a large-scale assault against Taliban militants in the South Waziristan region, a senior U.S. defense official said he was pleased with the preliminary "shaping" operations against Mahsud.

Mahsud is the leader of a Taliban-affiliated group and is described as one of the "odious and dangerous people" in the region by Richard Holbrooke, the special U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

American officials differ on the value of the intelligence Pakistan has shared on Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, who was captured June 30.

One senior defense official who acknowledged that Islamabad had provided intelligence cautioned against overstating its value. Another said the information had been important to American forces searching for Bergdahl. "They have been helpful," the U.S. government official said. "They have been very, very helpful."

Neither official would describe the nature of the assistance because the search for the soldier is continuing.

The government official said intelligence sharing between the U.S. and Pakistan could still be significantly expanded. And U.S. officials hope to persuade Islamabad to quietly expand the training program. But they remain hopeful that the partnership will expand

"As long as we continue to listen to them and continue to develop a strong relationship, they will accept the things we are trying to provide and are providing," the government official said. "The prospects of them giving more is better every day."

One sticking point for some American officials is the matter of border control centers, facilities to coordinate efforts among the various military forces. All of them are on the Afghan side of the border, and some U.S. officials want Pakistan to pledge to opening a center on its side as a sign of its commitment. But other officials said the location of the centers is not important because a joint center is doing most of the heavy lifting of intelligence sharing.

"We are slowly but steadily building additional border control centers, and they just take time," the senior defense official said.

The government official agreed that the border control centers were not tactically crucial to securing the border. But they are important in trying to encourage the Pakistanis to forge a closer relationship with the Afghans.

"The border control centers are not about tactics, they are about strong strategic relationships," the government official said. "And I would like to see the Afghan and Pakistan military develop a more cooperative relationship, not just border control."

Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said he was committed to strengthening U.S.-Pakistani cooperation both through confidence-building measures and concrete initiatives such as the centers.

"We have to do as many as we can, we have to make them as effective as we can and keep building on that," McChrystal said.
 
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Rawalpindi - July 25, 2009:

Update Operation (Rah e Rast) 25th July 2009


1. During last 24 hours, search and clearance operations were conducted in Swat and Malakand.

2. Swat

a. During search operation at Torshe Khan Sar, 2 terrorists were killed and 4 were apprehended. A terrorist training camp and a cave was also destroyed. Huge cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered.

b. Security forces conducted search operation at Bararai near Khawzakhela, Malakand and Qambar and apprehended 21 suspects.

c. Security forces conducted search operation at Akhun Kalle and killed 1 terrorist and apprehended 1.

d. During search operation at Utror near Kalam 1 terrorist was killed. Security Forces also apprehended 1 terrorist and recovered arms and ammunition.

3. Buner.

a. Mashran of Kitiari village handed over 2 suspected terrorists to security forces.

b. Security forces conducted search operation at Sappari Kandao, Koto Banda and Shadas and killed 9 terrorists at Koto Banda and 1 at Zohaib post.

4. Relief Activities.

a. 217,660 cash cards have been distributed amongst the IDPs of Malakand.

b. 12 trucks of rations and relief goods were distributed amongst the IDPs of Malakand on Friday.


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KIT Over n Out :victory::pakistan::sniper::guns:
 
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Rawalpindi - July 26, 2009:

Update Operation (Rah e Rast) 26th July 2009


1. During last 24 hours, search and clearance operations were conducted in Swat and Malakand.

2. Swat

a. Security forces conducted search operation in area around Tal, Kamari Banda and Maira Banda and killed local commander Maaz of Qambar.

b. Security forces conducted search operation at Darmai near Fatehpur and apprehended an Imam Masjid (supporter and sympathizer of terrorists).

c. Security forces conducted search operation at Ghaznavi near Piochar and destroyed a tunnel and recovered communication equipment.

d. Security forces conducted search operation at Wakilabad near Khawazakhela and destroyed 2 tunnels.

e. Security forces conducted search operation at Manda Jungle near Waliabad and destroyed 4 tunnels.

f. Security forces conducted search operation at Ghariabad near Charbagh and apprehended 6 terrorists.

g. Security forces conducted search operation at Tutan Banda and recovered 17 rifles, 3 machine guns and 4 pistols.

h. Security forces conducted search operation at village Pia near Maydian and apprehended 3 terrorists.

3. Dir.

Security forces conducted search operation at Khanai and Lal Qila and defused 5 IEDs.


4. Buner.

Security forces conducted search operation at Jowar-Bampokha-Kingargali route and demolished 3 terrorists hide outs at Dewana Baba and Kalpanai.

5. Bajaur.

Security forces encountered an IED near Sarkari Qila during search operation resultantly 2 soldiers embraced Shahadat.

6. Relief Activities.

220,143 cash cards have been distributed amongst the IDPs of Malakand.


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KIT Over n Out :victory::pakistan::sniper::guns:
 
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Monday, July 27, 2009

McChrystal visits Pakistan to allay Helmand operation concerns

RAWALPINDI: The US commander of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, Lt General Stanley McChrystal, visited Pakistan on Sunday to address the army’s concerns over a possible Taliban spill-over from the Helmand operation.

Sources said McChrystal arrived in Rawalpindi around 11am and was driven to the General Headquarters to meet Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani. The two sides held talks over the on-going operations in Helmand. The ISAF commander assured Gen Kayani that the US was aware of the possible crossing of Taliban into Pakistan.

“We are taking all steps to stop infiltration of fleeing militants into Balochistan and are ready to cooperate for effective border control and avoid illegal crossings,” the source said.

sajjad malik
 
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any news on Tank and Miran Shah !

Well Sir, this is gonna be a pincer kind of attack, just like swat operation where from multiple directions they came onto the taliban. The mehsud's tribe is sandwiched between the wazir's tribal area. Meaning the wazir are in the tank, jandola & wana areas, but going ahead on this route comes the mehsud tribal area, and when the mehsud tribal area finished again the wazir tribal area comes, this is the miranshah & the afghan border area. So what army has done for the time being is they have completely sealed the routes to the mehsud tribe area, and have provided an alternate route through the gomal zam dam to the wazir tribal people, it by passes the mehsud tribal area.

If army is successful in separating the wazir militants on the miranshah side to not support the mehsud, then army will be coming on the mehsud area from two sides, one from the wana side area and 2nd would be miranshah side area.
So the deployment of forces is specific on both sides.

Plus, the tank, jandola, wana areas have been to a great extend emptied of the mehsud militants due to the local wazir,bhittani & anti-baitullah mehsud militants & security forces action, so now the way is to go forward.

PA is first going for an isolation of the mehsud area, that's why we see the frequency of suicide attacks reduced in cities and even on the security forces in those tribal areas.
 
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