More than 50 killed in Pakistan militant clashes

[HAIDER]

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WANA, Pakistan, March 20 (AFP) A second day of heavy rocket and mortar fire exchanges between Uzbek militants and tribesmen around Kalusha town in South Waziristan tribal region left at least 51 people dead including four children, officials said Tuesday. The fighting started after ex-Taliban commander Mullah Nazir ordered followers of Uzbek militant Tahir Yuldashev to disarm. A mortar round hit a group of private school students who had been left outside the town by a bus driver because of the violence. Four were killed and 27 were wounded, the security officials said. Thirty-eight of Yuldashev's supporters were killed and 22 were detained, the officials said, while nine local tribesmen including some of Nazir's men also died and 64 others were wounded, the officials said. Twelve seriously wounded civilians, all women and children, were evacuated by helicopter to hospital in Peshawar city, they said. Meanwhile hundreds of Uzbek militants and their supporters blocked the road from Wana to the town of Angoor Adda. The local administration gave them a 48-hour ultimatum to end the blockade otherwise military action would be started against them, the officials said. Military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said the army did not intend to step in. (First Posted @ 14:45 PST Updated @ 23:02 PST)
http://dawn.com/2007/03/20/welcome.htm..
(mod if this topic is already in discussion then plz merge it)

[Janbaz]

Holy shoot! This region is a mess. So many attacks! Better measures should be taken to tame these people, at least restrain them from using violence. By the way, can anybodu explain what the hell these Uzbek militants are doing here? Shouldn't the army take care of them as they are not native to this are!:@

[HAIDER]

Thats surprise me too....uzbeks in 100s....thats huge number.

[Cheetah786]

Thats surprise me too....uzbeks in 100s....thats huge number.

edited no comments

[HAIDER]

Its more look like Pakistani govt has injected lots of money in tribel area to
pump local tribes against Alqaida terrorist, and are backed by Pak army. Very interesting situation.

[JK!]

Under details of the Waziristan accord I have read at wikipedia foreigners are allowed to basically roam free.
I am glad that the local tribesmen are taking action against these unwelcome visitors and also for them proving loyalty to the peace agreements with the government.

Up the Tribesmen!!!

[Janbaz]

Clashes erupt again in South Waziristan

WANA: A Jirga of local religious leaders and tribesmen was failed to resolve dispute between local tribesmen and foreigners after failed negotiations resulting in new clashes between the tribesmen and aliens at Wana and adjoining areas of South Waziristan tribal agency.

The religious leaders and tribal elders mediated the ceasefire in mountainous South Waziristan to hold a Jirga yesterday, attended by the Ulema and tribal notables of North and South Waziristan.

The Jirga discussed foreigners’ presence in the region and their future but failed to reach a consensus after long deliberations. A proposal to disarm the foreigners and providing them refuge in the Mehsud area was failed to get approval from all sides and the talks were resulted in failure.

Th four-days’ battle between aliens and local tribesmen at Wana and adjoining areas left up to 160 people dead including 130 foreigners, while 175 persons were injured in the clashes.

Local tribesmen have also detained over 70 persons amid clashes.

The News.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/updates.asp#19894

[kidwaibhai]

this is finally going to make those americans shut up. Finally our strategy is working woh hoo!!!!!!!!

[Janbaz]

Tribesmen attack Qaeda bunkers

Our Staff Reporters
PESHAWAR - Fighting between local tribesmen and alleged Uzbek militants halted for a while when a jirga tried to collect and bury the bodies in Wana, on Saturday but was stopped outside the town after which the clashes started again.
In a bid to collect the bodies lying in Sheen Warsak area near Azam Warsak, a jirga left Wana early Saturday morning. Eyewitnesses say bodies of two security officials and militants are lying in Sheen Warsak area.
The rivals stopped the fighting to help jirga collect bodies, but the local Taliban stopped the members in Dazha Ghondi village.
Eyewitnesses and tribesmen said the decurity forces reportedly targeted the bunkers of Uzbek fighters, using artillery from South Waziristan Scouts Camp and Army Colony Wana.
Both NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai and Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao have already made it clear that “it is an uprising of local tribesmen against foreigners and there is no need for the government to intervene.”
Eyewitnesses said that a tribesman Sultan died in Sheen Warsak Area, when a mortar shell landed in his house. Two girls were killed when a mortar shell hit the house of Qaimat Khan in village Ghawakhwa to west of Wana.
Those killed so included two FC soldiers, who died while fighting against Uzbeks in Sheen Warsak area. Sources say three FC soldiers are also missing in the fighting.
Meanwhile, the District Administration of Tank has demanded of alleged Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, who belongs to South Waziristan to denounce his association with militants, involved in attacking government installations and other criminal acts.
The authorities also announced ban on the use of non-custom paid vehicles in the district.
Meanwhile, administration announced six hours relaxation in curfew from 8 am to 3 pm from Sunday. No violence was reported from the area during curfew in Tank.
Two kidnappers were killed and two members of Lashkar Islam sustained injuries when they clashed in Nala Khwar area of Khyber agency.
AFP adds: Tribesmen attacked foreign Al-Qaeda militants hiding in bunkers in the tribal region, officials and residents said Saturday.
Pro-government tribesmen launched an assault overnight on bunkers occupied by the militants as part of efforts to drive them from the South Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan, they said.
They seized seven bunkers dug into a mountain from where the Uzbek militants and their Chechen and Arab allies could launch attacks on the main town of Wana, they said.
“The foreign militants fled. They suffered casualties but details were not available,” a security official told AFP, requesting anonymity.
He said a pro-government tribal commander was wounded in the fighting which continued until Saturday morning.
Foreign militants also shelled Pakistani army soldiers in the area, killing two, another security official said.
Troops from an army base in the area responded with artillery fire targeting foreign militants on the outskirts of Wana, he said.
Pakistani officials have said an “onslaught” by local tribesmen against foreign Al-Qaeda militants could curb cross-border attacks by the rebels in Afghanistan.
Uzbeks, Chechens and some Arab militants have traded rocket and mortar fire for two days with pro-government tribal forces led by a former Taliban commander after a tense ceasefire broke down Thursday, officials said.
The government “is not intervening,” a top security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“We hope this onslaught against foreign militants will help reduce cross-border activity. The foreigners were involved in this cross-border activity,” the official said.
“This is a decisive battle for us.”
Officials said the tribesmen’s efforts to drive out the rebels vindicated Islamabad’s policy of signing peace deals in the tribal belt instead of sending in government troops as it has in the past, with little success.
Officials said Algerian and Moroccan militants were believed to be among those fighting the tribal militia. The government has said it will help to repatriate any militants who surrender to the tribesmen.
But there are already fears of “blowback” with officials saying that a suicide attack which killed a soldier in eastern Pakistan on Thursday was linked to the foreign militants.

The Nation.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/apr-2007/1/index4.php

[Janbaz]

Tribesmen's lashkar to oust Uzbeks

Shamim Shahid
PESHAWAR - Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen Tuesday initiated steps for raising traditional lashkar to fight against Uzbek militants who slipped into the region after collapse of Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The move was started early in the morning in Wana Bazaar by 'Beating of drums,' meant declaration of war against the enemies or intruders as per tribal traditions.
Beating of drums has a long history in the tribal traditions as during any emergency, the tribal lashkar is being assembled through beating of the drums. In 2004 last, such drums had beaten and lashkars were organised against the alleged foreigners and their supporters including Mullah Nazir and Haji Sharif who were now leading uprising against the Uzbek militants.
The tribal elders late Malik Khadeen, Malik Allagai, Malik Gul Saa Khan, Malik Khandan and many others organised a lashkar in 2004 and were later on mysteriously assassinated.
According to the decision of traditional jirga, hundreds of youths arrived in Wana town. The youth with " Pakools" (a (traditional turban) are gathering in Wana Bazaar.
Elders from all sub tribes and clans of Ahmadzai Wazir Tribe assembled outside Wana Bazaar and started regrouping of the gun-totting youths assembled from various surrounding villages.
The elders from Zali Khel and Tojay Khel, sub tribes of Ahmadzai Wazir after a detail discussion announced to provide 900 youths for the lashkar whereas the remaining sub tribe would deliver the same number.
Permission for embarking on armed fighting against the Uzbek militants likely to be announced by Mullah Nazir who is leading the joint peace committee comprising government loyal and religious minded tribesmen.
A tribesman from Wana said that 200 out of 900 youth are now placed at the disposal of Mullah Nazir from Tuesday whereas the remaining are put on high alert.
On the other hand, Mullah Nazir through a pamphlet also directed the alleged Uzbek militants to leave the area otherwise get ready for a war. He also directed the local tribesmen to disassociate themselves from Uzbek militants otherwise they would face similar consequences.
Akhtar Shehzad from Tank adds: Following return of peace and tranquility, the administration has decided further relaxing the curfew hours from Wednesday and there is will be no restriction on routine business from morning till evening.
Officials said that after successful meeting with elders from different tribes, the administration decided to lift curfew.
However, the administration has made it clear that no one will be allowed to violate the curfew at nighttime.
It is pertinent to mention here that a traditional jirga and high-ranking authorities evolved a strategy for ensuring durable peace and tranquility in the area on Monday last. The jirga held at Tank was attended by Senator Maulana Saleh Shah and MNA Maulana Merajud Din, Deputy Inspector General Police Zulfikar Cheema, District Coordination Officer Syed Mohsin Shah and District Police Officer Mumtaz Zarin. The participants have discussed in depth the existing situation and later on they adopted the 11-point declaration.

The Nation.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/apr-2007/4/index8.php

[Zeeshan S.]

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60 dead in Pakistan border fighting
Staff and agencies
04 April, 2007

By ISHTIAQ MAHSUD, Associated Press Writer Wed Apr 4, 1:31 PM ET

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan - Tribal militias have killed dozens of foreign militants with alleged al-Qaida ties along the Afghan border, officials said Wednesday, in an offensive Pakistan has declared a victory against terrorism.

The last 24 hours of fighting left 50 Uzbek militants, 10 tribesmen and one Pakistani soldier dead, said three security officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Insecurity in the region, where the government has minimal control, puts it largely off-limits to reporters, making it hard to verify what little information emerges.

Some came to fight in the Afghan war against Soviet forces in the 1980s, others to escape U.S. forces that drove the Taliban and al-Qaida from Afghanistan in 2001 or repression in their home countries.

However, the government has cracked down more visibly on suspected al-Qaida affiliates. It scaled back army operations in the border region last year under a series of agreements for tribal leaders to disarm or expel foreigners living there.

On Monday, a council of elders in Wana, South Waziristan‘s main town, declared jihad, or holy war, against the Central Asians, accusing them of disregarding local traditions and killing tribesmen, and beat traditional war drums to raise a militia.

One security official said the fighting was focused on the village of Doza Ghundai. He said dozens of Uzbeks had surrendered and that one Pakistani soldier was killed and five others wounded. The circumstances were unclear.

The main commander of the tribal militia battling the foreign militants is Maulvi Nazir, a known Taliban sympathizer who the government says has come over to its side.

But some in Pakistan saw the recent fighting as a potential turning point.

http://www.localnewswatch.com/skyval...lnews&id=89480