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| India-Pakistan |
| Street skirmishes rage in Uzbek militants' stronghold |
| 2009-11-03 |
| [Dawn] Troops fought deadly street battles in a Taliban stronghold and a den of Uzbek fighters on Sunday, pressing their operation in South Waziristan into a third week and killing nine militants. 'Search and clearance operation in Kaniguram has commenced and 50 per cent of the town has been cleared,' the military said in a statement. Troops were fighting street by street in what commanders had described as a major Tehrik-i-Taliban 'operational centre' and base for Uzbek fighters, a military official said. A military officer told reporters on a visit to the area that hundreds of foreign fighters were on the run. Between 600 and 800 foreign militants had been in and around Kaniguram, but their resistance was broken by heavy bombing from jet fighters, helicopters and artillery, Brig Mohammad Ihsan said. 'They are on the run,' he added. The foreigners were mostly Uzbeks, but also Chechens and Arabs, he said. He said they might have made a strategic withdrawal, but the military was prepared for any guerilla attacks the militants might mount. Reporters travelling with military personnel through areas under their control observed damaged houses and markets and signs that improvised explosive devices had exploded. Roads were marked with the tracks of armoured vehicles. 'The direct operation will take one to two months,' Brig Ihsan said. Up to 250,000 people had fled the fighting, another official said. Intelligence and Frontier Corps officials said several militants had also been injured. Advancing troops had massed on three sides outside Taliban strongholds Sararogha and Makin, and impounded weapons in Karama, an Uzbek stronghold, the military said. In Patok Narai, two soldiers and five militants were killed. The military said an 'important phase' of its three-pronged offensive had begun as troops had reached the outskirts of Sararogha and Makin. Makin is being described as 'the nerve centre' of the militants, while Sararogha, about 20kms southeast of Makin, houses a strategic fort manned by a paramilitary force until it was captured by Taliban last year after killing several soldiers and taking dozens hostage. Security officials said military jets and helicopter gunships pounded militant positions in and around Makin. The military said security forces had captured all the important features and ridges overlooking Sararogha. According to a press release, security forces completed sanitisation of Zariwam and consolidated positions around Point 1435, Point 1342, Point 1389 and Point 1290. Two soldiers were injured during the operation. Areas along the road up to Biga, north of Kaniguram, and northwest of Badar Algad, up to the town, were cleared. One soldier was injured and four terrorists killed after an attack with small arms and rockets on a security checkpoint near Asman Manza. Troops secured Khazar Manzor Ziarat, south of Asman Manza, and apprehended one terrorist and seized a machinegun. In Karama, two caches of mines, explosives, ammunition, an operation theatre with Russian equipment and a vehicle laden with ammunition and explosives were destroyed. One terrorist was captured in Karwan Narai. On the Razmak-Makin axis, the Litta Sar area was cleared. Security forces claimed that they had seized three 14.5mm guns and three 12.7mm guns, two light machineguns mounted on vehicles, eight .303 and four mark-4 rifles, 16 rockets of RPG-7 and 59 other rockets, four 7mm rifles, an SMG, five walkie-talkie sets, 10 communication sets, six jammers, a telescope, two binoculars, a communication system with Patcom antenna, 12 high-explosive and 24 Arges grenades, 11 fire extinguisher vehicles, two blasting machines, five anti-tank mines, four heavy mortars, a missile launcher with three missiles, 25 82mm bombs, an SPG-9 grenade launcher with 50 rockets and 15 passports. 'The command and control structure of the Taliban exists in Sararogha, Makin and Laddah,' a security official said. 'It's going to be a tough fight for these places.' During Operation Rah-i-Rast in Malakand region, two terrorists surrendered in Bishbanr and Shadhand Banda and seven suspects were captured in Durshkhela. Security personnel found a huge cache of ammunition in Sore Banda, near Peochar. -- Agencies Sailab Mehsud adds from Laddah: A military commander said 124 militants had been killed in the offensive in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan and the army had lost 18 soldiers. Brig Mohammad Shafiq told journalists that Operation Rah-i-Nijat, launched on Oct 17, was successful beyond expectation. 'Militants' days are numbered and the area will be cleared very soon,' he said, adding that troops were advancing steadily towards Sararogha. A security official said troops had destroyed hideouts in Kotkai and seized weapons from bunkers. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Compare wid TOPIX > AussieBC - CHINA LAUNCHES "STRIKE HARD" SECURITY CAMPAIGN AGZ RESTIVE WEST. Every country [save RUSSIA for now] is initiating hopefully DECISIVE/STRATEGIC MIL-LED CAMPAIGNS AGZ ANY AND ALL RADICALIST GROUPS OR ELEMENTS, REAL OR NOT??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-11-03 00:51 |