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:: The Restive Af-Pak |
Pakistani Taliban in violent power struggle
Islamabad, Aug 9 (DPA): A pro-government tribal leader Sunday claimed that fighting between rival groups for the leadership of Pakistani Taliban had killed 24 rebels, including two possible successors to warlord Baitullah Mehsud.
Desire for son led to Mehsud's death: report
London, Aug 9: A desperate wish for a son may have led to the death of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, a British newspaper reported Sunday.
Rival Taliban leaders killed at meeting to pick Baitullah's successor
Islamabad, Aug 9: Two rival militant leaders were killed following their heated argument over who should be the next Taliban chief in Pakistan, media reports said.
Court adjourns hearing in Benazir Bhutto's assassination case
Rawalpindi, Aug 9: The additional sessions judge here has adjourned till Aug 31 the hearing of application seeking registration of FIR against 13 people, including former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, in Benazir Bhutto's assassination case, a media report said.
If correct, Mehsud's death is a good thing:US
Washington, Aug 8: Even as Islamabad was "pretty certain" that Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a US missile attack, Washington declined to confirm his death, but said if correct it would undoubtedly make Pakistani people safer.
Eight killed in Pakistan clashes
Islamabad, Aug 9 (DPA): At least eight people were killed in a clash between Islamist rebels and a pro-government tribal militia in Pakistan's restive northwestern region, officials said Sunday.
'Britain could be in Afghanistan for 40 years'
London, Aug 8 (DPA): Britain's involvement in Afghanistan could last for up to 40 years, the next head of the British army said in a newspaper interview Saturday.
Pakistani militants form groups to free associates
Islamabad, Aug 8: Pakistani militants have formed two groups to free their comrades from various prisons in the country, a media report said.
Pakistan denies Afghanistan transit facilities to import oil from India
Islamabad, Aug 8: Pakistan will not grant Afghanistan transit facilities to import oil from India, an official said here Saturday after two days of trade talks between the two countries.
Baitullah Mehsud alive, in hiding: Pakistan Taliban
Islamabad, Aug 8: Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, said to be responsible for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was not killed in a US drone attack but is in hiding as part of a "strategy", a spokesman for the group said Saturday.
Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud dead, confirms Islamabad
Islamabad, Aug 7: Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who is said to be responsible for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a drone attack in Waziristan Wednesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi confirmed Friday.
US investigates whether Baitullah Mehsud died in drone attack: WSJ
Washington, Aug 7: The US government has begun an investigation into whether Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who is said to be responsible for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a drone attack Wednesday, senior officials have said here.
'US digging itself out of a hole in Pakistan, Afghanistan'
Washington, Aug 6: Blaming the previous Bush administration for "a culture of poverty" that had starved the US campaign against Taliban, the top US military official says America is still digging its way "out of a hole" in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Three British soldiers killed in Afghanistan
London, Aug 7 (DPA): Three soldiers of Britain's elite Parachute Regiment died in an explosion that targeted their armoured vehicle in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Friday.
Osama bin Laden's son killed by US attack in Pakistan: Report
Washington, July 23 (DPA): The son of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed by a US missile attack in Pakistan, US National Public Radio has reported.
$165 million US aid to Pakistan for humanitarian relief
Washington, July 23: The US has announced an additional $165 million in aid to Pakistan for humanitarian relief, early recovery and long-term reconstruction efforts to support the internally displaced by the military conflict with the Taliban.
Holbrooke heads to Pakistan, Afghanistan and India
Washington, July 22: US special envoy Richard Holbrooke is headed for Pakistan and Afghanistan on a trip that focuses on the plight of internal refugees and security issues and will also take him to India.
Pakistani interior minister on the way out?
Islamabad, July 22: Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik could be on the way out with the name of Raza Rabbani, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that heads the ruling coalition, doing the rounds as his successor.
Pakistani troops kill 27 Taliban in restive Swat Valley
Islamabad, July 22 (DPA): At least 27 militants were killed in the on-going military operations in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley and two adjoining districts, security officials said Wednesday.
Musharraf seeks legal help after Supreme Court summons him
Islamabad, July 23: Former president Pervez Musharraf has begun contacting legal experts after the Supreme Court summoned him to defend his Nov 3, 2007 decision to impose an emergency and sack judges of the apex court and other courts.
Kabul embassy attack will not deter India: Krishna
Phuket (Thailand), July 22 (IANS): Reiterating its commitment to fight extremism of all kinds, India Wednesday said the despicable attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul last year will not deter it from continuing with reconstruction of the violence-torn Afghanistan.
Differences again emerge between Pakistani President and PM
Islamabad, July 21: The simmering differences between Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Asif Ali Zardari have once again come to the fore with tit-for-tat cancellations by the two leaders and three ministers considered close to the president being threatened with marching orders.
Five killed as suicide bombers attack Afghan government buildings
Kabul, July 21 (DPA): Eight suicide bombers attacked several government buildings in two eastern Afghan provinces Tuesday, killing at least five Afghan security forces personnel, officials said.
Musharraf denies involvement in Bhutto assassination
Islamabad, July 21: Former Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf has rejected allegations of his involvement in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Most 9/11 attackers are in Pakistan: Clinton
New Delhi, July 20: In a pointed message to Pakistan, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday said "a significant number" of 9/11 attackers are hiding in the border areas of that country.
14 Afghan civilians killed in bomb blast, mistaken shooting
Kabul, July 20 (DPA): Eleven civilians including a woman and a child were killed in a bomb blast in southwestern Afghanistan, while NATO-led German forces killed three civilians after mistaking them for Taliban militants in the northern region, officials said Monday.
Clinton warns of Al Qaeda-Taliban syndicate, hopes for Pakistan's action
Gurgaon, July 19: Warning of the threat of a global terrorist syndicate comprising Al Qaeda and the Taliban, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Sunday hoped Pakistan will take action against the 26/11 Mumbai attackers as she noted Islamabad's "evolving commitment" to fight terrorism.
Captured US soldier pleads to his countrymen in Taliban video
Kabul, July 19 (DPA): An American soldier, who went missing in eastern Afghanistan late last month, has appeared on a video posted at a website by Taliban, pleading to his countrymen to force the US government to pull out its troops from Afghanistan.
Stop using terrorism as a policy: Pakistani paper
Islamabad, July 18: The use of terrorism as a "policy" should be "scrapped in its entirety" because of the harm it had caused to Pakistan and India, an editorial in a leading English daily said Saturday while commenting on the meeting of the two countries' prime ministers in Egypt earlier this week.
16 civilians killed in chopper crash in Afghanistan
Kabul, July 19 (DPA): At least 16 civilians were killed when a helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan Sunday, while a NATO soldier and 35 Taliban militants were killed in the same region, officials said.
France appoints special envoy for Pakistan, Afghanistan
Paris, July 18: France has named Thierry Mariani as its special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, a media report said Saturday.
EU foreign policy chief to visit Pakistan
Brussels, July 19: European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana will visit Pakistan Monday for talks with the country's leadership, the EuAsiaNews reported Sunday.
Obama hopes for progress after Afghan elections
Washington, July 15 (DPA): US President Barack Obama expressed hope Tuesday that Afghanistan can enter a "different phase" after elections take place in August.
Zardari presses for 'economic diplomacy' to speed up aid
Islamabad, July 15: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has asked the government to launch "economic diplomacy" to quickly get the money pledged by the global community for rebuilding in the wake of the war against the Taliban, a media report said.
Al-Zawahiri urges Pakistanis to support mujaheedin
Cairo, July 15 (DPA): An audio tape purportedly by Al Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, released Wednesday urged Pakistanis to fight the US and back Islamist militants.
Britons question Afghan war amid rising casualties
London, July 15 (DPA): The sight of uniformed British soldiers sobbing with grief over the loss of comrades in Afghanistan has brought home to Britons the heavy human price they are paying for the government's military involvement in a far-away country.
Al Qaeda and Taliban sanctions list needs fixing
United Nations, July 15: The sanctions list for Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives contains names of dead people and entries with missing information, says Thomas Mayr-Harting, Austria's ambassador to the United Nations.
UNSC urges for free, fair Afghan elections
New York, July 15: The United Nations Security Council Wednesday called for "free, fair, transparent, credible, secure and inclusive" provincial and presidential elections next month in Afghanistan.
Eight militants, two soldiers killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, July 16 (Xinhua): Eight militants and two soldiers were killed in fighting in northwest Pakistan, officials said Thursday.
Pakistani tribesmen kill 15 militants near Afghanistan
Islamabad, July 14 (DPA): Pro-government militia killed at least 15 Islamist insurgents in Pakistan's Mohmand tribal district near the Afghan border, a security official said Tuesday.
Six foreigners, two US marines killed in Afghanistan
Kabul, July 14: Six foreign civilian contractors were killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday in southern Afghanistan after two US marines were killed in an insurgent attack in the same region, officials said.
Six militants killed in Pakistan's Swat valley
Islamabad, July 15: Pakistani security forces killed six Taliban militants in Swat valley, officials said Wednesday, as thousands of people displaced by a government offensive returned to their homes in parts of the district.
US hails UAE support to displaced Pakistanis
Abu Dhabi, July 14: The US has hailed the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) support to the people displaced in the ongoing conflict in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley, WAM news agency has reported.
Pakistani military to focus on Baitullah Mehsud's Taliban group
Islamabad, June 15: The Pakistani military will train its guns on Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, a suspect in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, once the operations against the militants in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) are concluded, the provincial governor said late Sunday.
Pakistani army chief flies combat mission against Taliban
Islamabad, June 15: Pakistani Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Monday flew a combat mission against the Taliban, riding as the co-pilot in an F-16 jet for an aerial overview of the offensive against the militants in the country's restive northwest.
New US general takes NATO command in Afghanistan
Kabul, June 15 (DPA): US General Stanley A. McChrystal took command of NATO forces in the country Monday amid an upsurge of attacks by Taliban-led insurgents nearly eight years since their ouster.
Security forces kill 35 Taliban in Pakistan's northwest
Islamabad, June 14: Fighter jets and helicopter gunships were pressed into action as Pakistani security forces killed at least 35 Taliban in the country's restive northwest Sunday, the military said.
25 killed as Taliban intensifies attacks in Afghanistan
Kabul, June 14 (DPA): Twenty-five people, including four civilians, were killed in the latest round of violence in Afghanistan this weekend, with rebels intensifying their attacks in an attempt to disrupt upcoming presidential elections, the country's interior minister said Sunday.
Pakistan has shifted forces from Indian border: US general
Washington, June 13: Pakistan has shifted forces from the Indian border to the west as it now sees very clearly the existential threat posed to their country by the extremists, said a top US general.
Pakistani warplanes bomb Baitullah Mehsud's stronghold
Islamabad, June 13: Pakistani warplanes bombed a stronghold of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in the South Waziristan tribal region Saturday morning, media reports said.
Afghan patience wanes as conflict escalates
Jaji (Afghanistan), June 9 (DPA): "Afghanistan received billions of dollars for reconstruction, but teachers here had no salary in five months, and we have no healthcare - it's like we are living in a coma," a Pashtun elder complained to US military officers to murmurs of agreement from his fellow villagers.
Afghan patience wanes as conflict escalates
Jaji (Afghanistan), June 9 (DPA): "Afghanistan received billions of dollars for reconstruction, but teachers here had no salary in five months, and we have no healthcare - it's like we are living in a coma," a Pashtun elder complained to US military officers to murmurs of agreement from his fellow villagers.
US offers help for Pakistan's anti-Taliban operations
Washington, June 9: The US has thrown its full weight behind Pakistan's anti-Taliban military operations in its restive northwest, with two officials saying Washington would provide whatever assistance was required for their successful conclusion.
Pentagon concedes 'problems' in Afghan airstrike
Washington, June 9 (DPA): The Pentagon investigation into a US airstrike in Afghanistan last month that killed scores of civilians has concluded there were "problems" with how the attack was carried out, a spokesman has said.
Pakistani security forces kill 27 Taliban
Islamabad, June 9: Pakistani security forces have killed 27 terrorists and captured 22, the military said Tuesday as its operations against the militants in the Malakand division of the country's troubled northwest entered its 45th day.
Pakistan's army, air force chiefs visit Swat
Islamabad, June 8: Pakistan's army and air force chiefs Monday visited Mingora, the largest town in Swat in the restive northwest that has just been cleared of the Taliban, even as the military operations against the militants entered their 44th day.
Another aide of radical cleric Sufi Muhammad held
Peshawar, June 9: Another aide of radical cleric Sufi Muhammad, who had brokered a controversial peace deal with the Taliban in Pakistan's troubled northwest and whose violation prompted the military to launch a major offensive against the militants, has been arrested but there is no word about the cleric's whereabouts.
Taliban changing tack as religion no longer working: Editorial
Islamabad, June 8: The killing of two aides of radical cleric Sufi Mohammad who had brokered a controversial peace deal between the Taliban and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government points to a change in the militants' tactics as religion no longer seems to be working for them, an editorial in a leading English daily said Monday.
How the Taliban has turned extortion into a gold mine
Kabul, June 7 (DPA): Creating an Islamic emirate and getting rid of all the infidels. Those are the declared goals of Afghanistan's Taliban militants. The war of the self-styled religious warriors, who have been resisting tens of thousands of foreign solders, does not come cheap.
Pakistani villagers rise up against Taliban, kill 11
Islamabad, June 7 (DPA): Hundreds of people have risen up against Taliban fighters in a district in Pakistan's northwestern region, killing at least 11 as troops continued operations against the militants elsewhere in the region, officials and media reports said Sunday.
60 percent of Swat's schools destroyed: UN
Islamabad, June 6: Sixty percent of the schools in Swat in Pakistan's restive northwest, where the military is currently focussing its anti-Taliban operations, have been destroyed, the UN says, quoting government officials.
Radical cleric Sufi Muhammad's deputy killed in rescue bid
Islamabad, June 6: The Pakistani military seemed to be speaking in twin voices Saturday on radical cleric Sufi Muhammad, whose deputy was killed in a blotched rescue attempt by the Taliban in the country's restive northwest, saying he was not in their custody.
NATO soldier among 19 killed in Afghan violence
Kabul, June 6 (DPA): A NATO soldier was killed in an attack in southern Afghanistan, while three civilians, two Afghan soldiers, three private security guards and nine Taliban militants were killed elsewhere in the country, officials said Saturday.
40 killed in NWFP mosque blast
Islamabad, June 5: (IANS) Forty worshippers were killed in a blast at a mosque in Pakistan's restive northwest Friday, an official said.
Three towns in Pakistan's northwest cleared of Taliban: Minister
Islamabad, June 5: Three towns in Pakistan's restive northwest have been cleared of the Taliban, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Friday as the military operations against the militants entered their 42nd day.
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