The Battle for Orakzai & Khyber Agencies

[waraich66]

ORAKZAI OPERATION CONCLUDED ?

The Press Release issued by ISPR after visit of COAS to Orakzai claimed that operation has been succesfully concluded.

'The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Kurram and Orakzai Agencies today. He was briefed about the security situation by the local military commanders. He also interacted with the troops and greatly appreciated their professionalism and high morale.

COAS also met the tribal masharan and thanked them for their consistent and wholehearted support to the security forces. He reassured them that return of normalcy and prosperity to the area will be ensured.

COAS’ visit to Orakzai Agency marks the successful conclusion of operations in the Agency. Return of IDPs is excepted to start shortly. He appreciated the professional conduct of the operation which has cleared the Agency of terrorists.

Earlier on arrival, the COAS was received by the Corps Commander, Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik and Inspector General Frontier Scouts, Major General Tariq Khan. '

PA is gaining sucess with support of local elders, it is healthy sign but US drones are creating misunderstanding among tribes and PA.

Kayani sb, please do some thing in this regard , nation is with you

 

[GUNNER]

Kayani sb, please do some thing in this regard , nation is with you

I don't think the drone strikes are going to end any sooner. Even though the political leadership has been saying that it is against the strikes and has asked US to stop them, there seems to be a secret understanding. The rate of strikes has doubled since last year. There hasn't been any note of dissent on part of PA either. The general public's response is not very hardline except for occasional protests by JI and co. I think the forum can conduct a poll on whether people support drone strikes or not, if not held earlier.

 

[Janbaz]

Taliban still rule half of Orakzai tribal area: report
ISLAMABAD, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Despite the army's claim of the conclusion of the operation in Orakzai tribal area, locals and officials said that more than half of the agency has not been cleared of the Taliban, local media reported Thursday.

The military has cleared only Lower Orakzai, while the situation in upper and central Orakzai has not changed much, the local newspaper Daily Times quoted residents of Lower and Upper Orakzai as saying.
"The battle is far from over," they added.

A brief statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) on Tuesday announced "the successful conclusion of operations in the agency."

However, fighting continued in the agency as more clashes were reported on Wednesday, the newspaper said.

Officials said Uzbek and other militants belonging to the "Lal Masjid group" and the Taliban from Swat, Bajaur and Waziristan areas were putting up stiff resistance in Upper Orakzai.

On the other side, they also said the forces had cleared areas bordering Khyber Agency in northern Orakzai, blocking the Taliban' s attempt to zero in on Peshawar, the main city in the northwest, and target supply routes for NATO and American forces in Afghanistan.

Military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas was quoted as saying that the operation in Orakzai was "almost over", but " stabilization operations may continue."

He said the resistance put up by the Taliban was "quite stiff" and the use of air force was necessary to soften up targets, as it "is hard for ground troops to attack Taliban positions on mountain tops."

Over 1,000 militants have been killed during the past two months in an attempt to clear militancy and terrorism in Orakzai, according to officials.

 

[GUNNER]

Well, clearly it's not over yet !
27 killed in fresh Orakzai clashes [EXPRESS TRIBUNE]
June 05, 2010

Twelve militants were killed in fresh attacks in Orakzai. PHOTO: AP
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ORAKZAI: Security forces targeted militants’ hideouts in Orakzai Agency using gunship helicopters and killed 27 militants on Saturday.

Thirty five militants were also injured in the clashes while the forces destroyed four militant hideouts.

The air strikes were conducted in Tali, Ghalju, Tor Kanray, Mamozai, Saifal and Maula Patti areas of Ismail Zai Tehsil of the Agency

 

[fatman17]

lower orakzai is secured whereas mopping up ops are required in upper orakzai - it will end soon!

 

[GUNNER]

Express Tribune

At least 15 militants Killed during clashes in Upper Orakzai Agency. One soldier was also martyred.

 

[SMC]

How many TTP have been killed so far in Orakzai? I am estimating 1300-1500.

 

[GUNNER]

How many TTP have been killed so far in Orakzai? I am estimating 1300-1500.

The ISPR has not given an official toll as yet, unlike Swat and South Waziristan Op, since it is an unannounced Op still. But the estimated number of militant casualty is around 2000. These are obviously disputable since there is no independent source of information.

 

[SMC]

Right, well I thought it would be possible to add up all the casualties being shown in media releases. All airstrikes, firefight, shelling, artillery, whatever. And make sure there's no overlaps and each strike is only counted once.

I want to know this to get a good idea of how much TTP has been damaged.

 

[GUNNER]

Right, well I thought it would be possible to add up all the casualties being shown in media releases. All airstrikes, firefight, shelling, artillery, whatever. And make sure there's no overlaps and each strike is only counted once.

I want to know this to get a good idea of how much TTP has been damaged.

As i mentioned, the problem is that ISPR has never given an official Press Release on Orakzai. As far as media reports are concerned, most of the times they differ in number and on the nature of Op. Some say clashes, some claim air strike, some claim artillery. But i'll try to get you an overall count tommorow.

 

[GUNNER]

40 Militants Killed In Orakzai

8 June, 2010

Forty militants have been killed in clashes with security forces in the Ghiljo area of Upper Orakzai Agency.

Six security personnel, including a captain have also been martyred.

According to military sources, militants attacked the security forces after they entered into Ghiljo area in Tehsil Ismail Zai of Upper Orakzai. Aerial strikes were carried out in the area for a week before forces moved in on Tuesday.

In retaliation, at least 40 militants were killed while several were injured.

More casualties are feared as the clash is still going on in the area.

The boundary of Tehsil Ismail Zai touches Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency, considered a hotbed of militants.

Military sources have indicated that militants have been crossing over into Upper Orakzai from Tirah Valley, where military is expected to move in after clearing Orakzai Agency.

More than a thousand militants have been killed so far in the Orakzai Agency operation.

 

[Janbaz]

Orakzai clash kills six soldiers, 30 Taliban

PESHAWAR: Six Pakistani soldiers were killed Tuesday when Taliban militants stormed a checkpoint in the northwest, prompting a retaliatory strike by the army that left 30 insurgents dead, officials said.

The clash took place in the village of Karonchi in Orakzai district, part of a semi-autonomous tribal belt where the military has been waging an anti-Taliban offensive since late March.

Eight soldiers were wounded in addition to the six dead, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps said.

He said the militants were armed with heavy weapons and that troops responded with heavy artillery, as a result of which “at least 30 insurgents were killed.”

Local administration official Sajjad Ahmed confirmed the casualties and said dozens of armed militants were involved in the attack.

Independent confirmation of the casualty figures was not possible however because the area is a closed military zone inaccessible to aid workers and journalists.

Pakistani forces opened a new front in Orakzai on March 24 in an attempt to flush out Taliban who escaped a major assault last year on South Waziristan, a headquarters for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership.

The TTP is a major force behind a bombing campaign that has killed 3,300 people across Pakistan in three years. The group attracted global attention when it was blamed by the United States for a failed car bomb plot in New York on May 1.

Washington says Pakistan's tribal belt, which lies outside direct government control, is an Al-Qaeda headquarters and a stronghold of militants plotting attacks on US-led troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Pakistan last week declared an end to major combat operations in the region.

A military spokesman in Peshawar said lower Orakzai was now under government control, while intelligence sources said troops were engaged in the more volatile central and upper Orakzai areas.— AFP

 

[Janbaz]

IMHO, could be one or two things, either the PA is downplaying what the TTP is capable of and not telling the full story regarding Orakzai or the TTP really wants to stop PA here because it knows it may not match up in N Wazirsitan.

Give your thoughts

 

[Janbaz]

Pakistani Taliban commander killed in tribal area

A local Taliban commander in northwest Pakistan's tribal belt was killed in clashes with the security forces on Tuesday, local sources said.

According to sources, Hafiz Gul Zaman was killed during the latest army offensive in the Orakzai tribal area near the Afghan border to wipe out the hideouts of Taliban militants. He was considered a very important local commander of the Tehrik-i- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Orakzai.
Meanwhile, another 35 militants were killed Tuesday in Orakzai during a military strikeback when the militants attacked a security forces' check post in upper part of Orakzai tribal agency, local news channel Dunya said.

An army captain and five troops also died in the shootout in Ghalju area of Orakzai, a stronghold of militants who fled army operations in nearby South Waziristan.

Pakistani security forces are advancing ahead in Orakzai to control it fully to disrupt the movement of militants. Militants travel in the tribal belt to fight against security forces where they start operation against their comrades.

Orakzai is the fifth tribal agency where military operation has been carried after operations in South Waziristan, Mohmand, Khyber and Bajaur.

The operation in Orakzai started in late March and over 1,000 militants have been killed.

 

[TaimiKhan]

IMHO, could be one or two things, either the PA is downplaying what the TTP is capable of and not telling the full story regarding Orakzai or the TTP really wants to stop PA here because it knows it may not match up in N Wazirsitan.

Give your thoughts

Swat gone, Bajaur Gone, Mohmand Gone, SWA gone, In Khyber restricted to some area, Orakzai and NW are the last years left.

With Orakzai gone, the Army would be covering the NW area from 2 sides which were used to be their hiding places, so if such a thing happens, where will the TTP guys go, only NW left and few areas in SW which army has not yet touched, they will become easy targets for military as they will be confined to a small space.

So they are now giving a tough fight in Orakzai as with it gone, they will have no footing in any of the tribal areas and in NW they will be more vulnerable as military will move from two sides on them and very much within artillery range from both sides of the agency also.