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| India-Pakistan |
| Taliban still rule half of Orakzai |
| 2010-06-04 |
| Despite the military's announcement on Tuesday of "successful conclusion of the operation in Orakzai Agency", locals and officials said on Wednesday that more than half of the agency was yet to be cleared of the Taliban. "The military has cleared only Lower Orakzai, while the situation in upper and central Orakzai has not changed much, as the army is yet to evict the Taliban from these areas. The battle is far from over," locals of Lower and Upper Orakzai told Daily Times. A brief statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) on Tuesday said, "(The) COAS' visit to Orakzai Agency marks the successful conclusion of operations in the agency." However, fighting rages on in the agency as more clashes were reported on Wednesday. "In Upper Orakzai, security forces took control of Daburi, while Mamozai, Ghaljo and Shahoo areas are still in Taliban control," residents and officials in Hangu district told Daily Times. Officials said Uzbek and other terrorists belonging to the "Lal Masjid group" and the Taliban from Swat, Bajaur and Waziristan were putting up "stiff resistance" in Upper Orakzai. However, they said the forces had cleared areas bordering Khyber Agency in northern Orakzai, blocking the Taliban's attempt to zero in on Peshawar and target supply routes for NATO and American forces in Afghanistan. "The TTP will not reach Peshawar as effortlessly as it would have prior to the operation. However, the job is yet to be completed in western Orakzai. That is where the real problem lies," the officials added. Military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told Daily Times that the operation in Orakzai was "almost over", but "stabilisation operations may continue". "The consolidation phase has begun and the clearance of population areas will follow soon." He said the resistance put up by the Taliban was "quite stiff" and the use of air force was necessary to soften up targets, as it "is hard for ground troops to attack Taliban positions on mountain tops". |
| Posted by:Fred |