The Battle for Orakzai & Khyber Agencies

[TaimiKhan]

KALAYA: In what is being described here as a major success in the military operation in the Orakzai region, security forces took control of the Taliban headquarters of Dabori on Sunday.

According to sources, troops seized the small town after fierce clashes with insurgents and launched a mopping up operation in the area. The town served as a base of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in the region.

The sources said that the TTP had set up training centres in Dabori and their ‘courts’ in the town handed out so-called verdicts under which tribesmen were executed and flogged in public.

A video released a few months ago showed Taliban beheading a man in the main ground of Dabori with a large number of people watching the slaughter.

Troops, backed up by tanks, helicopter gunships and planes, killed at least 37 militants and injured 28 others in the area. Five soldiers were injured in the clashes, the sources said.

Local people confirmed that troops had marched into Dabori and adjacent areas. About 172 tribesmen, some tribal elders among them, have been killed and 314 injured in suicide attacks and bomb blasts in Dabori after local tribes raised a lashkar to combat the militants. Taliban Commander Gul Zaman, who was in-charge of the TTP bastion, is reported to have fled the area.

According to reports reaching here, Taliban had vacated their positions in the area before the arrival of troops who took control of schools, a hospital and government offices.

Militants also suffered heavy casualties in sporadic clashes and air strikes in Orakzai’s central tehsil. The reports said that 18 terrorists were killed and six injured in the offensive.

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Troops seize Taliban bastion in Dabori, Orakzai

 

[Javed3]

Wish the life was as simple and benign.

Capturing Dabori or Damadola means deploying battalion sized formations to hold the parameter to counter infiltration or osmosis.

The only practical solution is massive injection of funds to develop infrastructure and create jobs. But the primary beneficiary of these operations (USA) is keeping a tight leash over funds ...

There is no point in these operations if there is no money.

 

[Xeric]

Clashes in NW Pakistan kill 9 troops, 37 militants - Examiner.com

Clashes in NW Pakistan kill 9 troops, 37 militants


May 10, 2010 10:46 AM By HUSSAIN AFZAL, AP

Army troops rooting out extremist militants in the country's northwest clashed with Pakistani Taliban fighters on Monday, leaving nine troops and 37 militants dead, officials said.

A group of more than 200 insurgents attacked the soldiers in the Orakzai tribal region, government official Samiullah Khan said.

Two intelligence officials and an army officer also confirmed the account. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information to the media.

Two officers were among those killed after hours of fighting, the military official said. Security forces had captured some key positions in the mountains and had been advancing toward the militants' hub in Dabori when they came under heavy gunfire from multiple sides, he said.

Details of the clash were nearly impossible to verify independently - access to the tribal belt is difficult due to the dangerous, remote nature of the terrain and restrictions on traveling there.

Links between the recent Times Square bombing plot and the Pakistani Taliban have added to pressure on Islamabad to step up its army offensives along the Afghan border. Suspect Faisal Shahzad has reportedly told U.S. investigators he had visited Waziristan, which is near Orakzai and largely controlled by militant Islamists.

Pakistani army offensives since spring 2009 have pushed extremists from their former stronghold of South Waziristan into North Waziristan and other neighboring tribal areas.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has said Pakistan has become far more helpful in battling extremists over the past year but that cooperation could be improved. She has also warned of "severe consequences" if an attack on U.S. soil is traced back to Pakistan.

 

[TaimiKhan]

May the martyred soldiers rest in peace and may Allah give courage to their families to bear this tragic loss. Ameen.

 

[Janbaz]

The Talibs are becoming more and more of fighters as time goes on....Too bad we're not getting any of the leadership.

 

[iPhone]

this orakzai is becoming a huge and bloody battle ground. RIP martyred soldiers and rot in hell bloody terrorists.

 

[ejaz007]

Pakistan push in N Waziristan needs time: general

* Joint Chiefs of Staff deputy chairman Lt Gen Mahmood Ali Khan says it is a big task, not ‘firefighting’

AMMAN: Pakistani forces, under US pressure to enter North Waziristan, will do so but in their own time and when adequate resources are available, Lieutenant General Sardar Mahmood Ali Khan, deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Monday.

Mahmood added such a big task in the region was not “firefighting” and had to be done in sequence with other battles.

Pakistan has come under fresh US pressure to send troops into North Waziristan after a failed bombing in New York claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Jordan of special operations force commanders, Mahmood said the army was still busy consolidating its operations following an earlier push into South Waziristan and needed to adhere to a schedule for what he called a long campaign.

Asked if troops would eventually go into North Waziristan, he replied, “Of course, all these areas which are affected are on our agenda, yes.”

‘Firefighting’: “It is a long-drawn battle, a long-drawn war, and we are continuing and there is a definite plan, there is a definite strategy which is being followed. It’s just not firefighting, because there’s a whole lot of areas affected by this (militancy).”

“Given the limitation of resources and troops involvement and not to leave one portion undone and going to another (too soon), it is sequential. In every area we have already got forces which are busy consolidating.”

Some Western officials have questioned Pakistan’s determination to tackle militants while Islamabad addresses other problems – from a sluggish economy to power cuts – that have made the government unpopular.

Pakistan has proven capable of capturing terrorists, including some of al Qaeda’s most notorious heavyweights. Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the accused mastermind of the September 11 attacks, was arrested in Pakistan in 2003.

But Mahmood said North Waziristan’s geography made it an exceptionally difficult region to wage a war in and suggested any move into the region could not be done lightly.

He referred to a presentation on mountain warfare given at the conference by a special forces colleague, Major General Farrukh Bashir, commander of the military’s Special Services Group.

Bashir enumerated many obstacles to mountain fighting, including difficulties in helicopter use, achieving surprise, the need for large numbers of troops acclimatised for high altitude, and very restricted manoeuvrability.

Bashir told the audience, “Pakistan has the capacity and resolve to defeat militancy. We only expect the international community to understand the nature of the conflict. Some conflicts are very difficult to quickly bring to an end.”

Asked if he would accept more US special forces to Pakistan, Khan declined to reply directly, noting there had been a limited number of these forces training in Pakistan for some time and they continued to play that role.

Another participant in the conference, organised by the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, was Major General Charles Cleveland, commander of Special Operations for US Central Command, which includes Afghanistan.

He told Reuters he had “no idea” whether more special forces would be going to Pakistan and added that it was not his decision. reuters

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[air marshal]

Ten militants killed in Khyber agency operation
Thursday, 13 May, 2010

PESHAWAR: As the army continues its operation against militants in the Khyber Agency, at least 10 suspects have been killed in the latest round of airstrikes.

According to Frontier Constabulary (FC) officials, the militants were killed when jets pounded militant hideouts in Teerah Valley of the agency.

A search operation has been underway in Bara and Teerah Valley over the last six months.

During this period, security forces claim to have killed over 150 suspected militants and detained over 300.

A large number of arms and ammunition have been recovered during the operation while a curfew remains imposed in the Bara Tehsil.

DAWN.COM | Provinces | Ten militants killed in Khyber agency operation

 

[air marshal]

51 suspects arrested in Khyber Agency

Security forces arrested 51 suspects during a search operation in the Bara Tehsil of Khyber Agency on Friday, a private TV reported. Frontier constabulary sources confirmed the arrest, saying that forces conducted a search operation in the Sepah area and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the suspects. The arrested suspects were shifted to an unidentified location for initial interrogation. Security forces claim to have destroyed dozens of hideouts during the ongoing operation in Bara and Tirah valley during the last six months.

51 suspects arrested in Khyber Agency | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

 

[Mogambo]

Pakistan: Fighter jets kill 15 suspected militants

By HUSSAIN AFZAL (AP) – 1 hour ago

PARACHINAR, Pakistan — Fighter jets pounded militant hide-outs in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing 15 suspected insurgents as part of the military's campaign to rout Taliban fighters from a mountainous area near the Afghan border, a government official said.

The Pakistani military launched the ongoing offensive in the Orakzai tribal region in mid-March to flush out militants who last year fled an army offensive in nearby South Waziristan. Persistent artillery and aircraft attacks have killed hundreds of suspected militants over the past two months.

The 15 who were killed Sunday were holed up in the villages of Dabori, Gojar and Kamer Mela in Orakzai, said Samiullah Khan, a senior government administrator in Orakzai.

It was impossible to independently confirm the casualties and their identities because the region is remote and dangerous and media access restricted.

Thousands of people have fled the offensive in the area and many have moved in with relatives in nearby districts.

Elsewhere in Pakistan's tribal region Sunday, militants who kidnapped 60 people at gunpoint the day before released 40 of their hostages, said local administrator Rasheed Khan.

Another 10 people told the local government they managed to escape the militants, who ambushed the group in Kurram while they were headed to the northwestern city of Peshawar, said Khan.

The hostages released by the militants were mostly women, children and poor men, said Khan. The kidnappers kept the wealthier men so they could demand ransom from their families, he said.

"Now the militants only have 10 people in their custody, and efforts are under way to recover them," said Khan.

The Associated Press: Pakistan: Fighter jets kill 15 suspected militants

 

[T-Faz]

So when are you coming to Orakzai Agency for vacation with your RAW friends.

 

[air marshal]

Fifteen suspected militants killed in Orakzai
Sunday, 16 May, 2010

PARACHINAR: Fighter jets pounded militant hide-outs in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing 15 suspected insurgents as part of the military's campaign to rout Taliban fighters from a mountainous area near the Afghan border, a government official said.

The Pakistani military launched the ongoing offensive in the Orakzai tribal region in mid-March to flush out militants who last year fled an army offensive in nearby South Waziristan. Persistent artillery and aircraft attacks have killed hundreds of suspected militants over the past two months.

The 15 who were killed Sunday were holed up in the villages of Dabori, Gojar and Kamer Mela in Orakzai, said Samiullah Khan, a senior government administrator in Orakzai.

It was impossible to independently confirm the casualties and their identities because the region is remote and dangerous and media access restricted.

Thousands of people have fled the offensive in the area and many have moved in with relatives in nearby districts.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...-kill-15-suspected-militants-in-orakzai-ss-08

 

[ejaz007]

58 Taliban killed in Orakzai
Staff Report

HANGU: Security forces, backed by fighter jets and helicopter gunships, killed 58 Taliban in Orakzai Agency on Sunday.

Sources said around 18 Taliban were killed and 25 others injured in a clash with the forces at Kol area of Dabori in Upper Orakzai.

Five security personnel were also injured in the clash, the sources said, adding that three explosives-laden vehicles were also destroyed in the fighting.

Meanwhile, 35 Taliban were killed and another 10 injured in airstrikes in Orakzai, the sources said.

They said the fighter jets bombed suspected terrorist hideouts in Dabori, Wali Qamar, Gujar Kaley and Tagah Sam areas of Upper Orakzai Agency, killing 15 Taliban and injuring 10.

Helicopter gunships also pounded terrorist hideouts in the area, killing another 20 Taliban.

Five of the Taliban’s hideouts were destroyed in the operations, the sources added.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[fawwaxs]

Thirty-two Taliban killed in Orakzai air strike, clashes



KALAYA: Military planes and helicopter gunships bombed suspected Taliban positions in different areas of Orakzai on Sunday, killing 32 militants and injuring 18 others.

(According to AP, the air strikes and assault by ground forces killed 58 suspected militants in the agency.)

Sources said that the targets were bombed in Wali Qamer, Gujar Kali, Hassan Zai and Teramgi areas.

Official sources said that 10 hideouts of terrorists were destroyed in the air strikes.

However, Taliban spokesman Hafiz Saeed denied the casualty reports and claimed that a few supporters had suffered injuries.

Officials said that planes and helicopter gunships bombed Taliban positions in Dabori area, killing 15 insurgents and injuring 10 others.

Four terrorist dens were destroyed. During the operation launched two months ago, security forces have cleared several areas, but they are still facing resistance in some areas.

Officials said the fighting had displaced about 98 per cent of the people of the upper tehsil. These people have moved to camps in Hangu and Kohat.

In some areas, especially Mamozai, people are facing shortage of food.

The local administration persuaded some displaced families to return to their homes, but most of them are back in relief camps because of Taliban threats.

The military launched the ongoing offensive in the Orakzai tribal region in mid-March to flush out militants who last year fled an army offensive in South Waziristan.

 

[Xeric]

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...eight-militants-killed-in-orakzai-clash-zj-06

Forty militants killed in Orakzai clash
Wednesday, 19 May, 2010

KALAYA, Pakistan: More than 200 Pakistani Taliban attacked a security post in the northwestern region of Orakzai on Wednesday, triggering a clash in which at least 40 militants and two soldiers were killed, officials said.

The violence came as US National Security Adviser Jim Jones and CIA director Leon Panetta were in Pakistan to urge the government to step up pressure on militant groups following a botched May 1 car-bombing in New York's Time Square, a White House official said.

Pakistani forces have increased their attacks in the Orakzai and Khyber regions of the northwest in recent weeks after largely clearing Taliban strongholds in other areas.

The militants emerged out of forested mountains to attack the checkpoint in the Dobbari area soon after dawn, said a government official in the region, Nauman Khan.

“They first fired rocket-propelled grenades at our checkpost and then closed in and attacked,” said a military officer in the northwest who declined to be identified.

“We responded quickly and repulsed the attack after fierce fighting which lasted about three hours,” said the officer.

At least 40 militants as well as two soldiers were killed.

Twenty-two soldiers were wounded, he said.

There was no independent confirmation of the casualty toll and Taliban spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.