Pakistan Security Brief
Pakistan Security Brief – September 14, 2010
11 militants killed in latest US drone strike in North Waziristan; General Kayani visits camps housing flood victims; UNICEF sees reduced risk of disease epidemics; Journalist killed after reporting on militants
FATA
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A U.S. drone strike killed 11 militants in North Waziristan on Tuesday. The strike occurred in Bushnarai village in the Shawal district of North Waziristan, where four missiles were fired at a militant compound. According to intelligence officials, the Shawal district, which borders Afghanistan, is a stronghold for Hafiz Gul Bahadur, the leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in North Waziristan. Tuesday’s operation is the tenth U.S. drone strike in last 11 days targeting suspected militants operating in the tribal areas. [1]
Flooding
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Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani visited camps housing displaced flood victims in Sindh and Balochistan on Monday. General Kayani assessed the progress of relief operations as well as the condition of camps provisioned by the Pakistani government and the international community. In addition to the relief camps, General Kayani also visited reconstruction efforts underway in Sindh to repair the Tori breach which forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents after its collapse. [2]
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U.S. officials confirmed on Monday that the United Nations will raise its appeal for emergency aid to Pakistan, as the country continues to cope with the aftermath of unprecedented flooding. Although the United Nations has already called for 460 million dollars in emergency aid, officials report that additional funds will be requested by the end of the week. The announcement came as Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani and Dan Feldman, the US deputy special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, held a news conference with General Electric, which pledged $1 million dollars to the relief effort. [3]
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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported Tuesday that the risk for disease epidemics has been abated in some parts of Pakistan impacted by recent flooding. UNICEF credited receding flood waters and the hard work of government officials and humanitarian workers for the measurable improvement in conditions. Although the agency was optimistic about the diminishing prospects of widespread disease outbreak, Bill Fellows, a UNICEF official, warned that the particularly flood ravaged southern areas of the Sindh province remain the exception, stating “The risk factors are there and we have to be extremely, extremely vigilant.” [4]
Karachi
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A fierce shootout between political adversaries broke out on Tuesday evening in the Shara-e-Faisal area of Karachi. Members from the ruling coalition were attacked as they worked to erect party signs on the Natha Khan Bridge. Although law enforcement officials have confirmed that there were no causalities, the 30-minute shootout brought the city to a halt and panicked residents. [5]
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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A Pakistani journalist was murdered on Tuesday in the town of Hangu. Haji Misri Khan was gun-downed in the early morning by multiple unidentified assailants who fled the scene after the attack. Reports indicate that prior to his death, Khan received multiple death threats from militants who demanded he stop reporting about their activities. [6]
