Pakistan Security Brief

Pakistan Security Brief –November 23, 2009

Three militants blew themselves up in Kashmir on Saturday after fleeing from security forces; one person was injured when an explosion occurred at a German non-governmental organization in Peshawar on Saturday, conflicting reports suggest that the explosion was caused by either a gas line or a planted explosive; a large number of militants were killed in multiple operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas; two Sipah-e-Sahaba leaders were buried in Karachi in on Saturday after being killed by unknown gunmen.  

• Three militants blew themselves up after being pursued by security forces in Kashmir on Saturday.  While no other people were killed in the attack the explosions occurred after police conducted a raid on the militants’ compound in Muzaffarabad.  The militants escaped the initial raid but were trapped in the mountains where they detonated their explosives.[1]    

• One person was injured when a suspected bomb struck a non-governmental organization in Peshawar on Saturday.  Initial reports suggested that the explosives were planted behind the German Comprehensive Health and Education Foundation but police have since concluded that the explosion was caused by leaking gas pipeline.[2]

• The Pakistani security forces have killed around forty suspected militants in operations in South Waziristan, Bajaur and Orakzai Agencies.  Some of these operations are said to have targeted militants that have escaped the military’s operation in South Waziristan.  A number of other militants were killed by Pakistan’s helicopter gunships in the tribal areas.  Seven other militants were reportedly killed in Miramshah on Saturday.[3]

• Two Sipah-e-Sahaba leaders were buried in Karachi on Saturday after succumbing to bullet wounds during an ambush in on Thursday night.  The leaders, engineer Ilyas Zubair and Qari Shafiq-ur-Rehman, were killed by unknown gunmen who attacked their vehicle with small arms in Karachi.  No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.[4]