War in Waziristan
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The News International, Pakistan
Thursday, June 04, 2009
The militants have made it quite obvious the war that is being fought in Malakand and elsewhere must be extended to Waziristan. Indeed, the daring kidnapping of dozens of pupils of the Razmak Cadet College may even have been an attempt to force the military to open up a new front, before it had finished off the battle in Swat, thus hoping to stretch it to the maximum, and by doing so trip it up. There is still confusion over how many students and staff members were kidnapped. Numbers range from around 100 to over 500. But it is now clear not all have been recovered. Accounts from law enforcers say 71 out of 122 victims have been retrieved; the ISPR says 80 were recovered and 15 are still missing; some of those who have returned home after their ordeal say the number is higher. But somewhere in the lawless realms of South Waziristan, a number of terrified boys and possibly their teachers are in the hands of the Taliban. Some reports even suggest they may have been taken to Baitullah Mehsud himself. Certainly, that wily veteran of battle seems to be preparing for a new – and we hope final – confrontation.
Read More
Thursday, June 04, 2009
The militants have made it quite obvious the war that is being fought in Malakand and elsewhere must be extended to Waziristan. Indeed, the daring kidnapping of dozens of pupils of the Razmak Cadet College may even have been an attempt to force the military to open up a new front, before it had finished off the battle in Swat, thus hoping to stretch it to the maximum, and by doing so trip it up. There is still confusion over how many students and staff members were kidnapped. Numbers range from around 100 to over 500. But it is now clear not all have been recovered. Accounts from law enforcers say 71 out of 122 victims have been retrieved; the ISPR says 80 were recovered and 15 are still missing; some of those who have returned home after their ordeal say the number is higher. But somewhere in the lawless realms of South Waziristan, a number of terrified boys and possibly their teachers are in the hands of the Taliban. Some reports even suggest they may have been taken to Baitullah Mehsud himself. Certainly, that wily veteran of battle seems to be preparing for a new – and we hope final – confrontation.
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Labels: Extremism, Kidnapping, Razmak Cadet College, Taliban, Terrorism, Tribal Areas, Waziristan
posted @ 9:54 AM,
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Tragedy saved
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The News Inernational, Pakistan
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
A potentially explosive hostage situation has been averted through the prompt action of security forces. Had they not acted, engaging militants in a fierce gun-battle after talks failed, 71 students and nine staff members of the army-run Razmak cadet college in North Waziristan would have been whisked away to a secret location. Their fate would then have lain in the hands of ruthless savages who we all know have no humanity in them that can prevent them from inflicting the most horrible of crimes on those they kidnap, and it makes little difference to them even if their victims are young, innocent students. The possibility of tragedy, then, would have clouded the air, perhaps for days. The prompt army action to rescue the hostages must be commended. The fact that the militants were able to abduct 80 people, travelling from the college to Bannu after the institution closed for the summer break, shows that their capacity remains intact. Indeed, it is being reported that the militants from Swat, Dir and other places have been fleeing into Waziristan and assembling there. Their audacious act of abduction shows they are eager to fight on and will resort to all available means to do so. It is however encouraging that unlike the past, the military backed by the Frontier Corps acted decisively and swiftly, blocking of routes and intercepting the kidnapped students. Pakistan's army, which has already gained the status of heroes in the eyes of citizens, has further consolidated this position in the public mind.
But there are also lessons to be learned in what has happened. In Waziristan at least the militants remain largely untouched, their networks apparently intact. If there is to be success in the final goal of wiping out militancy – which after all is the raison d'etre of the battle we are seeing now, the operation must be extended fully and forcefully into the inhospitable stretches of Waziristan. There have been indications of a plan to begin the operation in Waziristan very soon. Preparations for this are already on. There must be no change in this resolve. Indeed the final struggle will need to be coordinated with Kabul, given the routes that lie across the border. The most recent terrorist outrage, targeting students who were in many cases mere children, underscores why this war must be won. Only when the last stretches of territory too have been conquered will we feel safer and more secure.
Source
Labels: Extremism, Kidnapping, Militancy, Razmak Cadet College, Taliban, Terrorism
posted @ 11:06 AM,
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Taliban kidnap 500 students, teachers in FR Bannu
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Daily Times, Pakistan
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
MIRANSHAH/PESHAWAR: Taliban gunmen were accused Monday of brazen abduction of a convoy of 30 buses carrying more than 500 students and staff of Razmak Cadet College (of North Waziristan) in Frontier Region (FR) Bannu.
They were on their way to Bannu after the college closed for its summer vacation, town police chief Iqbal Marwat said.
“Only two buses carrying some 25 students reached Bannu,” Marwat said, adding that about 28 buses carrying around 400 students were missing.
“They have been kidnapped by Taliban militants,” Marwat told AFP.
The college is an army-run educational institution for civilians. Those kidnapped include students and civilian staff, he said.
Officials told Daily Times the convoy reached Kajori checkpost on the border of North Waziristan and FR Bannu safe, but were abducted from Marwat Kanal area in Baqakhel police precincts.
“Militants started firing in the air to stop the vehicles and then they forcibly drove them to unknown place,” Javed Alam, vice principal of the college, told a private television channel. APP quoted Alam as saying that only 15 students and five teachers had been abducted.
“We were in a convoy of around 30 vehicles, escorted by tribal police, when masked men stopped our vehicles and started asking questions,” said Mohammad Shafiq, a ninth grade student among those who fled.
“They asked us whether we are army recruits, first they were questioning us in Urdu and then in Pashto,” he said. “They stopped us for some time but allowed most of those students who were from the tribal areas to go,” Shah Hussain, another student in the same class said. haji mujtaba/agencies
Source
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
MIRANSHAH/PESHAWAR: Taliban gunmen were accused Monday of brazen abduction of a convoy of 30 buses carrying more than 500 students and staff of Razmak Cadet College (of North Waziristan) in Frontier Region (FR) Bannu.
They were on their way to Bannu after the college closed for its summer vacation, town police chief Iqbal Marwat said.
“Only two buses carrying some 25 students reached Bannu,” Marwat said, adding that about 28 buses carrying around 400 students were missing.
“They have been kidnapped by Taliban militants,” Marwat told AFP.
The college is an army-run educational institution for civilians. Those kidnapped include students and civilian staff, he said.
Officials told Daily Times the convoy reached Kajori checkpost on the border of North Waziristan and FR Bannu safe, but were abducted from Marwat Kanal area in Baqakhel police precincts.
“Militants started firing in the air to stop the vehicles and then they forcibly drove them to unknown place,” Javed Alam, vice principal of the college, told a private television channel. APP quoted Alam as saying that only 15 students and five teachers had been abducted.
“We were in a convoy of around 30 vehicles, escorted by tribal police, when masked men stopped our vehicles and started asking questions,” said Mohammad Shafiq, a ninth grade student among those who fled.
“They asked us whether we are army recruits, first they were questioning us in Urdu and then in Pashto,” he said. “They stopped us for some time but allowed most of those students who were from the tribal areas to go,” Shah Hussain, another student in the same class said. haji mujtaba/agencies
Source
Note from the Blogger
The latest news is that the army undertook a swift operation within hours and recovered all the kidnapped students, staff and teachers of Cadet College Razmak. That's indeed very great and army deserves to be complimented for the same.
Labels: Bannu, Extremism, Kidnapping, Militancy, Military Operation, Miranshah, Razmak Cadet College, Students, Swat Operation, Taliban, Terrorism, Tribal Areas
posted @ 10:40 AM,
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