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India-Pakistan
Nearly 50 militants killed on Pak-Afghan border
2008-08-27
KHAR, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistani troops Wednesday killed up to 50 militants, including foreign fighters, near the troubled Afghan border amid an upsurge in Taliban-inspired bloodshed, security officials said.

More than 30 rebels died in the Bajaur tribal district, a hub of Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, where government forces have for three weeks been conducting an extensive operation to destroy their hideouts. "Security forces killed 25-30 militants, including some important commanders and foreigners in Bajaur's Raghan region," a security official told AFP.
These were the security forces, that is, the paramilitary Frontier Guard, not regular Pak army. Still I'm mildly surprised.
In another clash, Pakistani helicopter gunships pounded militant hideouts on Wednesday in a different part of Bajaur bordering Afghanistan, killing eight rebels and wounding 12 others, a separate security official said. Pakistani forces moved into Bajaur earlier this month.

Islamabad's fragile coalition government, which pushed US ally Pervez Musharraf to resign as president on August 18 in the face of impeachment charges, is under heavy international pressure to combat the rebels. But violence linked to the country's role in the "war on terror" has killed nearly 1,200 people in suicide and bomb attacks across Pakistan in the past year.

The army said in a statement Wednesday that 11 militants were killed in a gunbattle that broke out after a military checkpost came under rebel attack in the restive South Waziristan tribal region. "Around 75-100 militants attacked a checkpost on the night of August 26-27. Security forces effectively repulsed the attack. Reportedly 11 militants were killed and 15-20 others injured," the statement said.
Posted by:tu3031

#5  The Taliban and Pakistan Army are now locked in a death spiral pissing contest.

Popcorn?
Posted by: Slats Glans2659   2008-08-27 23:28  

#4  why this sudden uptick

Possibilities

1. theres less than meets the eye - their exaggerating whats going on, to the point where its all smoke and mirrors

2. US pressure is quietly being stepped up, and with the situation in Iraq meaning more US troops for Afghan, our leverage is up (no I dont believe this is the case, but I cant rule it out)

3. The new army COS is more effective than Perv, for whatever reason

4. The PPP really does hate the jihadis, and is in a better position post election to press the military to act.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2008-08-27 15:55  

#3  What happened, did the ISI lose its funding?
Posted by: Scott R   2008-08-27 13:34  

#2  I like my idea of providing the Pak military with helicopter fired weapons that are US controlled UAVs. The Pak pilot gets credit for the kill, but expert US UAV pilots stick it in exactly the right place.

And, of course, any "secondaries" from the hit, might just possibly be SDBs dropped by a US high altitude aircraft on the other side of the border in a TOT.

"This new rocket is amazing, Samir! I fired one at a mud hut and the whole hillside blew up!"
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-08-27 13:33  

#1  It Appears as if Paki Troops are finally getting after the Islamist and al-Qaeda!?
Posted by: Red Dawg   2008-08-27 13:00  

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