[The News (Pak) Top Stories] Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud has urged his fighters to stand fast against the military offensive in South Waziristan, warning them in an intercepted message obtained on Thursday that cowards will go to hell."Remember this is the commandment of God that once fighting starts with the enemy, you cannot leave the battlefield without permission from your commander, and don't look for excuses to run away from the fighting," Hakimullah told his followers in a speech on Tuesday broadcast over a wireless radio network. Of those, who do run away, he warned, "Such people will go to hell."
The intelligence officials shared a recording of the speech with The Associated Press, to show that the militant leader is concerned about desertions in the ranks. "We are in Jihad and we should not pay heed to the whispers of Satan. We should sacrifice our lives for Islam so that we can feel pride on the day of judgment," Hakimullah said.
Irfan Burki & Daud Khattak add from Wana and Peshawar: Twenty-eight militants and five soldiers, an officer among them, were killed as security forces continued battling their way into the Taliban strongholds of Ladha and Makeen on the 20th day of the operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan on Thursday.
Five more militants were arrested while two soldiers suffered injuries in clashes with the insurgents, claimed the military officials, who said the troops were consolidating their positions in areas vacated by the militants.
Taliban, on the other hand, said their withdrawal from their former strongholds was tactical and that they were planning to launch scattered attacks on security forces. Talking to a local journalist by telephone from an undisclosed location, Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq admitted they had vacated some areas but under a strategy. He claimed that they had started attacking security forces from Wednesday and their men had carried out some attacks in different areas of Ladha and Makeen.
Both sides were issuing conflicting claims about gains in the fighting. Earlier, the Taliban had admitted the death of only 11 of their men since October 17, while the death tally among the Taliban by the Army troops since that period has surpassed 400.
The political administration officials said the troops had advanced some 30 kilometres from the Wana direction so far. They had captured some strategically important areas of Ladha Tehsil, which will facilitate their advance on the town.
According to officials, security forces have got control of Garde Serai mountain after consolidating positions in Ladha and the freshly captured Ladha Fort, which was abandoned by the Frontier Corps (FC) after immense pressure from the militants more than a year ago.
Sources said the FC fort was mostly destroyed by the militants, but its capture would leave considerable psychological effects on the advancing troops and the retreating militants. A clash was reported in Shamerai village near the Ladha bridge. Officials said seven militants were killed and some others sustained injuries in the firefight. They said the rest of militants fled the scene.
The troops also captured Sheen Sar and the Hanrai Tangi area in their advance from Jandola towards Srarogha. From the Razmak side, the troops have seized the control of Panj Plorai and Ashkar Kot to reach the Taliban stronghold of Makeen.
A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said a blast near Srarogha killed five soldiers, including one officer. Two more soldiers suffered injuries. The explosion occurred as the troops were busy in a clearance operation and consolidating their positions on the Jandola-Srarogha axis.
The troops have captured the areas of Shashak and Bangalkhel on the Shakai-Kaniguram axis. Seven militants were killed in retaliatory fire from security forces in Mangora and Ghundai Ghar. The troops secured the road from Asman Manza to Gadawai, said the official statement.
Security forces conducted a house-to-house search in Spin Kamar, Wucha Kauan, Algad and Lugar Manza on the Razmak-Makeen axis. Five militants were killed in a clash in the Lita Sar area on the same axis. Arms and ammunition were also recovered during the search.