Pakistan Security Brief

Pakistan Security Brief - October 12, 2009

Militants penetrated the Pakistani army's headquarters in Rawalpindi on Saturday, taking dozens of hostages and killing several military personnel before all but one of the militants were killed in a rescue operation; around forty were killed by a suicide car bomb targeted at a Pakistani army convoy in a district adjacent to Swat on Monday; the Pakistani army claims an operation into South Waziristan is imminent; Pakistani military air strikes killed over twenty militants in South Waziristan on Sunday. �

• On Saturday militants carried out an audacious attack on the Pakistani army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.� After fighting their way through the outer gate and security perimeter, the militants, dressed in military uniforms, were able to seize a building and take over forty hostages and kill numerous military personnel.� On Sunday morning, the army's Special Services Group launched a hostage rescue operation on the facility and saved all except three of the forty-two hostages.� Eight of the hostage-takers were killed in the operation while the leader was arrested.� Some have called this operation a security lapse while the government denies these claims.[1]
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• Around forty were killed on Monday in a suicide car bomb on a Pakistani army convoy in a market in Shangla district of North West Frontier Province, adjacent to Swat.� This bombing is the fourth major attack carried out by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the last week.� This string of attacks occurred as the Pakistani army prepares an offensive in the TTP's haven of South Waziristan.[2]
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• In a released statement, the Pakistani army says that it is prepared to launch an offensive against the TTP in South Waziristan Agency and is waiting for the government to order the operation.� This statement comes after the attack on the GHQ on Saturday and the successful operation to free the hostages.� The government has hinted that this operation in imminent.[3]
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• Over twenty militants were killed Sunday in South Waziristan Agency by bombing strikes carried out by the Pakistani Air Force.� It is believed that these air strikes were in response to the recent rocket attacks on an Army camp in North Waziristan Agency.[4]��