AF/PAK – SWEEP
PAKISTAN
1.) A US drone attack on a compound in the tribal belt on Wednesday killed at least 11 suspected militants, local security officials said. The target of the drone strike was a house in Inzarkas village in Dattakhel area, some 35 km west of Miran Shah, the main town of North Waziristan. The drone fired seven missiles on a house, killing at least 11 suspected militants, an intelligence official in Miran Shah was quoted as saying. A security official in Peshawar also confirmed the attack and the death toll. Residents in Miran Shah said drones were still hovering in the sky while Taleban have surrounded the area after the attack. A security official in Peshawar said a vehicle parked outside the house was also destroyed in the attack. - The Nation
2.) Security forces during a search operation arrested nine more people on suspicion of being militants or having links with them. People are confined to their houses and Katlang and other bazaars of the area. Sources said search operation would be expanded to Sakhakot in Malakand Agency. Curfew was clamped on some villages for the whole day. - The News
3.) Mir Nooruddin Mengal, a central leader of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, was gunned down in Kalat town, about 160km south of here, on Wednesday. Mengal was going home when armed men on a motorbike opened fire on him. He was seriously injured and was taken by police to a local hospital. Police said both the assailants had escaped. Protesting against the murder, activists of the BNP-M gathered on the outskirts of Kalat and blocked the National Highway by putting up barricades and burning tyres. Traffic between Quetta and Karachi was suspended as the protesters pelted passing vehicles with stones. They also marched on the highway raising slogans against the government. - Dawn
4.) A group of tribesmen from Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency on Wednesday asked the government to stop the military operation in their area so that uprooted tribesmen could return to their homes. Led by Jamaat-i-Islami’s secretary general Ikhtiar Bacha Afridi, the tribesmen stated at a press conference here that the operation “cannot restore peace” in the area. The curfew in force there for 13 long months had brought life to a standstill and multiplied the problems of the tribesmen still living there by causing shortage of food and other essential items, he said. “We are loyal to the state. We obey the law and want restoration of sustainable peace in the region,” Mr Afridi said and suggested that the curfew should be relaxed otherwise the new generation would be unable to get education in the prevailing situation. - Dawn
5.) Three militant commanders were killed in an alleged encounter with Pakistani security forces Thursday in the country's northwest, local media reported citing official sources. Reports said a large cache of arms was also recovered from their custody in sub-district Kabal of Swat region in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The three killed important insurgent commanders have been involved in a number of alleged terrorist activities, reports said. - Xinhua
6.) Police said Thursday they have foiled a plot to kill the country's prime minister, foreign minister and other senior police, army and government officials by arresting a group of seven militants in central Pakistan’s Bahawalpur district. Senior police official Abid Qadri said authorities learned about the plot during an initial interrogation of militants, who were arrested late Wednesday after a shootout near a village in the district. The men are all part of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, which is a banned militant group linked to both the Taliban and al-Qaeda, Qadri said. Some of the suspects arrested Wednesday are believed to have taken part in last year's attack on the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Multan that killed 12 people, Qadri said. He did not say how far along the men were in their alleged plot to kill Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the others. Qadri said the suspects also had plans to attack a key dam, a bridge and military installations. — AP
AFGHANISTAN
1.) Afghan and coalition forces killed Mohammad Ali, a Taliban senior leader and improvised explosive device expert in Ghazni province Wednesday. Muhammad Ali led his network in ambushes against Afghan and coalition forces using rockets, small arms fire and IEDs. The security force also killed Mowlana Fatih Sahib, a Taliban operations leader also involved in ambushes against Afghan and coalition forces. Intelligence tips led the security force to a remote compound in Rashidan district. As the security force arrived at the scene, they immediately took heavy small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire from armed insurgents, including Mohammad Ali and Mowlana Fatih Sahib. The security force returned fire, killing several insurgents. The assault force found multiple RPGs, hand grenades, automatic weapons and magazines, along with a machine gun with the insurgents. The security force then moved to clear and secure the targeted buildings. During the clearance of the building, another adult male was killed inside the building after he threatened the security force. When the area was secured, the security force detained several suspected insurgents after questioning on the scene. - ISAF website
2.) Taliban militants' attack in Kandahar, south of Afghanistan, wounded at least three people on Thursday morning, an eye witness said. "The attack occurred against a convoy of trucks in 3rd precinct of provincial capital Kandahar city at around 08:30 a.m. local time wounding three drivers," Asmatullah who escaped the attack told Xinhua. He also said that the attackers were riding motorbikes and made their good escape. Three trucks were also set on fire by the attackers. All the trucks were hired and served for NATO-led troops based in Kandahar, Asmatullah further said. - Xinhua
3.) An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban senior facilitator, who planned and facilitated attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, along with several of his associates, during an operation in Nimroz province Wednesday. The International Security Assistance Force had announced the senior facilitator was captured during an overnight operation Sunday. However, ISAF later discovered Afghan and coalition forces had actually captured the deputy shadow governor for Nimroz province during the operation and not the facilitator as originally assessed. Intelligence tips led the security force to a remote compound in Khash Rod district to continue their search for the senior facilitator. Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to exit the buildings peacefully, and then the joint security force cleared and secured the compound. After initial questioning of the residents at the scene, the security force identified and detained the facilitator and his associates. The security force also found improvised explosive device material at the scene. - ISAF website
4.) Afghan and coalition forces discovered 7,000 kilograms of ammonium nitrate and 20 improvised explosive devices during three recent operations in southern Afghanistan. On Wednesday, coalition forces found 4,000kg of ammonium nitrate during an operation in the Khash Rod district of Nimroz province. The forces also found five rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive device canisters. An explosive ordnance disposal team conducted a controlled detonation on the cache. Also on Wednesday, an Afghan Border Police patrol discovered a large cache of IEDs being transported by a vehicle in Kandahar City. The cache consisted of five anti-personnel mines and 15 remotely-detonated IEDs. In a separate incident, the International Security Assistance Force confirmed Afghan Border Police confiscated 3,000kgs of ammonium nitrate that were found in a truck in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province during a combined mounted patrol Monday. - ISAF website
FULL ARTICLE
PAKISTAN
1.)
US drone strike toll up to 11 - Pakistani officials
Text of report headlined "Drone leaves 11 dead in NWA" by Pakistani newspaper The Nation website on 14 October
Miran Shah: A US drone attack on a compound in the tribal belt on Wednesday [13 October] killed at least 11 suspected militants, local security officials said.
The target of the drone strike was a house in Inzarkas village in Dattakhel area, some 35 km west of Miran Shah, the main town of North Waziristan.
The drone fired seven missiles on a house, killing at least 11 suspected militants, an intelligence official in Miran Shah was quoted as saying.
A security official in Peshawar also confirmed the attack and the death toll.
The strike is the latest in a series of US operations in the region which are believed to be targeting suspected Taleban and Al-Qa'idah extremists plotting attacks on Europe.
Residents in Miran Shah said drones were still hovering in the sky while Taleban have surrounded the area after the attack.
A security official in Peshawar said a vehicle parked outside the house was also destroyed in the attack.
Source: The Nation
2.)
Nine militants held in Mardan operation
http://www.thenews.com.pk/14-10-2010/National/10029.htm
Thursday, October 14, 2010
MARDAN: Security forces during a search operation arrested nine more people on suspicion of being militants or having links with them.
General Officer Commanding (GOC), Swat, Major General Ashfaq Nadeem Ahmad, also visited Katlang on Wednesday where military officials briefed him on the ongoing search operation.Maj Gen Ashfaq Nadeem praised the people of the area for their cooperation in the operation against the militants.
The operation, which military authorities had named “cordon and search operation”, was launched on Monday against suspected militants in rural areas of Mardan district. Besides Pak Army, Frontier Corps and Mardan police are also taking part in the search operation. The troops had searched various villages, including Katlang, Bakhshali and Rustam.
During the search operation, security officials said 520 people were taken into custody from Ghundo and Matta villages in Katlang town, 20 kilometers north of Mardan.The detained people, the majority of them were reported to be local villagers, have been kept at the Government High School, Shamozai, and Government Primary School Shawa Banda in Matta villages of Katlang.
Some of the detainees included government employees and retired soldiers but were released on Tuesday after overnight detention in various schools, which has been turned into temporary detention centres. The remaining villagers, including farmers, shopkeepers, drivers and daily wagers are still in their custody.
Similarly, the sources said the forces had expanded search operation to other villages of the are,a including Dharai Likpanai, Tazagram, Alo, Qasami and other villages of Katlang town.
Sources said the forces also set up checkpoints at the entrance and exit points of the above-mentioned villages and strictly checked the people and their national identity cards, while detaining those not having NICs.
People are confined to their houses and Katlang and other bazaars of the area. Sources said search operation would be expanded to Sakhakot in Malakand Agency, which is the stronghold of organised gangs involved in kidnapping and car-lifting. Curfew was clamped on some villages for the whole day, causing problems for the residents.
3.)
BNP-M leader shot dead in Kalat
Thursday, 14 Oct, 2010
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/bnpm-leader-shot-dead-in-kalat-400
QUETTA: Mir Nooruddin Mengal, a central leader of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, was gunned down in Kalat town, about 160km south of here, on Wednesday.
Mr Mengal, who was a member of the party’s central executive committee, was going home when armed men on a motorbike opened fire on him. He was seriously injured and was taken by police to a local hospital. Doctors referred him to Quetta but he died near Mangochar.
Police said both the assailants had escaped.
Protesting against the murder, activists of the BNP-M gathered on the outskirts of Kalat and blocked the National Highway by putting up barricades and burning tyres.
Traffic between Quetta and Karachi was suspended as the protesters pelted passing vehicles with stones.
They also marched on the highway raising slogans against the government.
Traffic was restored in the afternoon when the local administration and police officials assured the protesters that killers of Mr Mengal would be arrested soon.
The killing of Mr Mengal is seen here as a setback for the party because after the assassination of Habib Jalib Baloch he was the senior most leader in the absence of Akhtar Jan Mengal who lives in Dubai.
4.)
Tribesmen want Bara operation stopped
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/tribesmen-want-bara-operation-stopped-400
Thursday, 14 Oct, 2010
PESHAWAR, Oct 13: A group of tribesmen from Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency on Wednesday asked the government to stop the military operation in their area so that uprooted tribesmen could return to their homes.
Led by Jamaat-i-Islami’s secretary general Ikhtiar Bacha Afridi, the tribesmen stated at a press conference here that the operation “cannot restore peace” in the area.
They asserted that instead of bringing a positive change, the operation added to the miseries of tribesmen as it displaced them and deprived their children of education.
“Our families are facing the worst kind of financial problems,” they said.
Mr Afridi alleged that houses of innocent people were demolished and many people lost their lives for no fault. “The government has failed to take notice of injustices in the area,” he said.
The curfew in force there for 13 long months had brought life to a standstill and multiplied the problems of the tribesmen still living there by causing shortage of food and other essential items, he said.
Even those who had nothing to do with militancy were forced to leave their homes and were living miserable lives in different localities of Peshawar, he added.
“My own house at Spin Qabar village was demolished by the security forces but I cannot ask them what was my fault,” Mr Afridi said and denied having any links with the militants. He said he was just a political worker who condemned terrorism but still suffered heavy financial losses in the operation.
He condemned the killing of innocent people, destruction of houses and demanded probe into the matter. He said that the sufferers should be compensated. He claimed that there was complete peace in Bara before the military operation and no educational was detonated. The institutions were closed during the operation and curfew, he said.
“We are loyal to the state. We obey the law and want restoration of sustainable peace in the region,” Mr Afridi said and suggested that the curfew should be relaxed otherwise the new generation would be unable to get education in the prevailing situation.