Military kills 16 Al-Qaeda linked militants in Pakistan: official

AFP ^ | 9-20-08

[STARWISE]

Pakistani soldiers killed at least 16 Al-Qaeda linked militants in fierce gunbattles in a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.

*snip*

The operation involving helicopter gunships and artillery has left more than 800 people dead, mostly militants, and also displaced 260,000, officials said.

[STARWISE]

Apparently, it's official confirmation of previously reported news:

Pakistan Says 16 Militants Killed in Northwest

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Pakistan bombs militants; U.S. commander arrives

KHAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani aircraft bombed militant strongholds on Tuesday killing 14 insurgents and a suicide car-bomber attacked a security force camp killing three soldiers, military officials said.

The violence came as the top U.S. military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, arrived in Pakistan where stepped up U.S. strikes on militants on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border have angered Islamabad and strained relations between the allies.

U.S. officials say Taliban and al Qaeda-linked fighters use ethnic Pashutn tribal regions on the Pakistani side of the border as a springboard for attacks into Afghanistan.

Pakistani forces launched offensives against militants in two parts of the northwest in August and the government says hundreds have been killed.

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Fantastic news!

God bless and protect our awesome troops and willing allies.

[STARWISE]

~~PING!

[Nextrush]

Can Pakistani reports be trusted in regards to being truthful and or accurate?

Does Pakistan want to create an impression they are fighting terrorists when they are really not?

[STARWISE]

Vaporization targets:

Masked Pakistani pro-Taliban militants stand guard where they are detaining kidnapped security personnel in an undisclosed location in the troubled Swat region, September 14, 2008.

~~~~

How convenient .. there just happened to be a Reuters photographer in the neighborhood.

[STARWISE]

$64,000 question.

[airedale]

I’m a little confused the headline says that 16 Al-Queda linked militants killed but later it says that 800 were killed mostly militants. I suppose they were Taliban militants and of course the Taliban has no links to Al-Queda.

[Ros42]

WOOHOO!!! Great job troops!!!

[NutCrackerBoy]

Pakistan has to step up and civilize their part of the world. This is a good start.

[STARWISE]

U.S. sees threat from Afghan-Pakistan border area
Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:18am EDT

Excerpt:

Pakistan is not yet equipped to combat the militant threat emanating from the remote area bordering Afghanistan, a senior Bush administration official said on Friday amid stepped-up U.S. strikes in that area.

President George W. Bush’s national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, would not discuss American counterterrorism efforts in that area, including a reported U.S. commando raid, but said Washington was trying to help Pakistan’s government address the threat.

“This is a problem that’s been created in sovereign Pakistani territory and the problem is going to be solved when Pakistan has an ability to exercise control over that territory,” Hadley told reporters.

“We recognize that in the short term right now there are threats emanating out of that area that threaten Pakistan, that threaten our troops in Afghanistan and potentially threaten the homeland,” he said ahead of Bush’s meeting next week with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

Their meeting on Tuesday before the United Nations General Assembly comes as tensions have flared between the two allies over suspected U.S. strikes within Pakistan’s borders against al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

*snip*

“We want to cooperate closely with Pakistan, we also need to ensure as best we can that threats do not materialize out of that area,” Hadley said. “We work very closely with Pakistan authorities.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1951411220080920

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I think the new Pakistani president might
just have the pleasure of a “come to Jesus”
meeting with Pres. Bush.

[athelass]

Wait. They bombed the area so heavily they killed 800 "mostly" militants, destroyed the towns of 260,000 people, and killed 16 Al Qaeda? Call me crazy, but that doesn't seem like a very good ratio. Not that I'm ungrateful for the effort.

[JLS]

Yeah the displace 260,000 is a bit hard to believe. Still possibly the US threat to continue to do it ourselves has gotten the Pakistan army into action in the Tribal area at least for now.

[iopscusa]

Smells like Bravo Sierra to me...needs a RR ‘trust but verify’.

[pyrless]

“Wait. They bombed the area so heavily they killed 800 “mostly” militants, destroyed the towns of 260,000 people, and killed 16 Al Qaeda? Call me crazy, but that doesn’t seem like a very good ratio. Not that I’m ungrateful for the effort.”

Sounds like the 800/260,000 figures are from the lengthy operation launched last month, and the 16 killed just the most recent action in the operation.

Also sounds like Pakistan’s new government has got the message that they either do the job or we’ll come in and do it for them.

[joma89]

Nicely done.

JoMa